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YOURS TRULY, 
COLONEL GEORGE HUNTER. 



REMINISCENCES 



OF 



AN OLD TIMER 



A RECITAL OF THE 

ACTUAL EVENTS, INCIDENTS, TRIALS, HARDSHIPS, 

VICISSITUDES, ADVENTURES, PERILS, 

AND ESCAPES 



Pioneer, Hunter, Miner and Scout 

OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST 

TOGETHER WITH 

His later Experiences in Official and Business Capacities, and a Brief 

Description of the Resources, Beauties and Advantages 

of the New Northwest; the several Indian 

Wars, Anecdotes, Etc. 



Colonel GEORGE HUNTER. 



THIRD EDITION. 



BATTLE CREEK, MICH.: 

REVIEW^ AND HERAIvD 

1888. 

t-5 







COPYRIGHT APPLIED FOR. 



DEDICATION. 



To My Aged Father, 



r 



ILLIAM HuNTEI^ 



A Pioneer of the Northwest, a member 
of the Brotherhood -which especially 
encouraged me in placing before the 
public the story of my life ; a man ^A^ho, 
at seventy-eight years of age, still proves 
to be a loving husband, a kind father, 
and a square and charitable Brother — 
this book is respectfully dedicated by 

THE AUTHOR 



INTRODUCTION. 



Reader, do not for a moment imagine that in these 
pages you will discover any literary gems, brilliant word 
paintings, or imaginary legends ; but rather the plain 
unvarnished story of the life, incidents and adventures 
of a blunt, uneducated man, who has ' ' roughed it " in 
the great Northwest from boyhood, and writes from 
memory only. 



PREFACE, 



In the compilation of the narrative contained in this 
work, the author has told in graphic language the history 
of his early youth and subsequent incidents that partake 
of more than ordinary interest. Colonel George Hunter, 
one of the band of pioneers whose advance to the slopes 
of the Pacific paved the way for the tide of emigration, 
has passed through a series of those hair-breadth escapes 
and adventures so incidental to Western life. At the 
solicitation of numerous friends the task of collating his 
reminiscences have been undertaken, and, although the 
present work does not pretend to any high literary effort, 
its contents can scarcely fail to be interesting, especially 
to those who have become identified with the events 
described. 

The incidents relating to the migration of the Hunter 
family across the plains in 1852 will awaken many mem- 
ories ; the earnest endeavors of young Hunter to obtain 
work, showing the indomitable spirit in the youth, that 
afterwards developed in the man, are minutely described. 

Mining life in Shasta City district is vividly portrayed, 
and the arrival of the first white woman at the camp is 



viii Preface. 

described with a minute detail that shows how welcome 
such a rara avis was in those days. Chapter V contains 
a stirring tale of the Rogue River Indian War of 1853, 
and the author, who participated with honor in that and 
other campaigns, details in plain language the horrible 
mutilations and cruelties practiced upon the dead hy the 
Indians. The conduct of the war against these Rogue 
River Indians was given to the noted veteran, General 
Joe Lane, and a high compliment is paid to Oregon's 
"friend" for services rendered then and up to the time 
of his death. 

As a sequence to the narrative it follows that the 
hunting of grizzlies and other noble game is accurately- 
described in these pages, and the exciting accounts of the 
chase and its results prove that Colonel Hunter was no 
mean nimrod. 

A contrast between the aspect of the Umatilla ' ' Mead- 
ows" in 1855 and its present appearance is admirably 
portrayed, and it must indeed be a source of gratification 
to the old pioneer to witness the improvements that have 
been made in the land in which he took so deep an interest. 

The events which led to the massacre of the worthy 
missionary. Dr. Whitman, to whom the credit belongs of 
saving Oregon and Washington Territory to the Union, 
are given in Chapter VIII, and the supposed causes which 
led to his death are discussed. 

The lack of emigration and transportation retarded 
the development of the Walla Walla Valley, and Colonel 
Hunter after abandoning mining in the Shasta City 



Preface. ix 

district weut to Shoalwater Bay, engaging in the oyster 
business and occasional hunting trips. 

The colonel was appointed sheriff of Pacific County 
about this time, and graphically describes his first arrest 
and how his prisoner escaped by jumping from the 
steamer that was conveying him to jail. 

In 1 86 1 the Civil War broke out. Hunter and his 
wife's relatives ranging on the Union side, being strong 
' ' Douglass Democrats. ' ' He bravely defended the honor 
of the flag in an attempt to lower it by some rebel sym- 
pathizers, and shortly afterwards resumed his old vocation 
of mining on the upper Columbia. 

Wandering through the country, from Boise City to 
Snake River, the author became sick west of Salt Lake 
City, where, afraid to trust himself in the hands of the 
Mormon doctor, he was taken care of by the doctor at 
Camp Douglass and speedily regained his health under 
the kind attentions of a Mormon family. 

In conjunction with a partner Colonel Hunter then 
carried the mails from Salt Lake to Virginia City, via 
East Bannack, and in this service again encountered the 
hostility of his old enemies, the Indians. 

But the old gold fever was still strong and, when news 
of the strike at Kootenia in British Columbia came, our 
pioneer went with a party to seek a fortune. The enforce- 
ment of the rigid mining laws on British territory are 
narrated, and an illustration given of the respect shown 
by miners to their regulations. 



X Prefacs. 

In 1865 Hunter left Kootenia for Walla Walla, trav- 
ersing the Pen d' Oreille to the Spokane, over the Snake 
River, and on to Walla Walla. That town, in 1863, was 
a "lively" place, and our pioneer soon had his hands 
filled with the task of regulating the bands of road-agents 
and Indians who were stopping travelers and robbing 
stages. Vigilance committees were organized in which 
he took a prominent part, and the disturbers were soon 
'cleaned out" of the country 

In 1877 the Nez Perces war commenced and Colonel 
Hunter tendered his services to General O. O. Howard, 
which were thankfully accepted. From the general he 
received the most considerate and kind attention, being in 
close attendance upon that distinguished officer through- 
out the campaign. The details of the outrages and prac- 
tices of the Indians are given in full, and horrible indeed 
they are when narrated by an eye-witness of the scenes. 

The war being over Colonel Hunter returned to his 
home to receive care and nursing at the hands of his 
wife, and upon recovering removed his family to Grange 
City. At a " pow-wow ' ' with the Indians, where he acted 
as interpreter to General Howard, Colonel Hunter was 
elected their chief. 

The remainder of the volume is taken up in describing 
the many events of the years that followed the discovery 
of gold in the Columbia basin, and a humorous descrip- 
tion of the author's first dabble in politics is given. 

Becoming a member of the ' ' Grange ' ' Colonel Hunter 
entered into the warehousing business and still continues 



Preface. xi 

in that pursuit. In 1880 he was elected to serve in the 
Washington Territory Legislature, and his experiences 
and labors as a law maker proved that he served his con- 
stituents with honor. 

It is now Colonel Hunter's intention to travel Bast in 
order to disseminate information about the great North- 
west country of the Pacific Coast, a country which he 
helped to build up and for which he predicts a glorious 
future. 

In conclusion I may add that the present volume is 
well worthy of perusal, not only to those whose interests 
are in that portion of the country described, but also to 
the class of readers who may be desirous of gaining some 
ideas of that vast and productive portion of the Union 
which, though scantily populated at the present time, is 
destined to become the home of a great and wealthy 
people. 

GIDEON P. WOODWARD, 

Manager Historical Pub. Co. 



List of Illustrations. 



Portrait of Coi.. Geo. Hunter Frontispiece 

My First Friend and Teacher 3 

One Ox Left on the John Days River .... ii 

Off for a Rabbit Hunt 21 

A Grizzly Bear in Camp — A "Tearing" Climb . 37 

Miners in '52 49 

Study's Ride 95 

Mrs. Harris Defending Her Home and Baby . 107 

Capture of Pu-pu-mox-mox 121 

First Charge at the Battle of Walla Walla, 

1855 129 

Preparing to Rescue a Besieged Camp . . . .187 

Burial of Slade in the Boise Basin 225 

Holding up the Stage by Road Agents — To 

the Front 259 

The Scout and His "I^ittle Wonder" . . . .301 

Pat Price Exposes the Cross 345 

Timus, the White Chief of the Palouses . . 367 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 

My Parentage — Birtliplace — Infancy and Boy hood — Early 
Recollections — In the Woods with a Lion — My First Earn- 
ings and How I Used Them — Incidents, Adventures, 
Trials and Sufferings in Crossing the Plains — The Cholera 
— Phrenology with an Ox-bow — She took My Arm — And 
I got hit — Warming up a Missouri Bed — Four Days With- 
out Food — A-footin' Alone — Ragged and Sick — In a 
Strange Land Among the Indians — "Bilked" Out of My 
Earnings — A Mountain Chill with Accompaniments — ' 'A 
Friend Indeed. " i 

CHAPTER II. 

On Foot from Portland to Yreka — Hunting odd Jobs to pay 
" Grub " — A Generous Family — "Eat, Dig and Chill" — 
Yreka in '52 — "Beef Straight" — Salt $1 per oz. — A 
Snow Blockade — A Successful Deer Hunt — "Rabbit on 
the Brain " — " Buckeye ' ' and ' ' Grizzly " — A Terrible 
Journe}' — " Razors in the Air" — Comrades Want to Die — 
Frozen Hands and Feet — Crippled Comrades — All for 
Gold 17 

CHAPTER III. 

Shasta City in '53 — A "Rough Spoken," though Helpful 
Friend — A Letter of Introduction and its Results — Pros- 
pecting Old and Young Humbugs — A Grizzly Bear in 
Camp— A "Tearing" Climb— Why He Whistled— Nine 
Hundred Dollars in a Day — Caved in on and Breasted, 
while "Breasting" — Exhumed by Fellow Miners . ... 31 



xiv Contents. 

CHAPTER IV. 

Miners' Amusements — A Humbug Ditty — Dusky Damsels 
Sheltered ; or, " Bread Cast Upon the Waters ' ' — Suspi- 
cious Wearing Apparel — Reception of a Real Live 
Woman — Celebrating the Fourth of July — The Lawyer 
and the ''Sapling'' — "Stumped" while on Guard — 
The First Step Toward "Civilization" — The "Miner's 
Lament" — Captured by Indians — The "Waters Return 
I the Bread" — "Poor Man's Bar" — Withiji a Foot of 
' a Fortune 46 



CHAPTER V. 

The Rogue River Indian War of 1853 — Humbug and Yreka 
Boys to the Front — A Plucky " Siwash " — Well Heeled — 
Our First Scouting Party Surprised — Seven Killed, Seven 
Wounded, one Scared to Death — Five of Us Stand Oflf 
Two Tribes of Hostiles — A Scared Boy Wins Laurels 
Unwittingly — A Scared Man Sings While Fighting — 
The Fame (us) Song — Indian Atrocities and Tactics — A 
Disorderly "Git Thar' Quick" — The Wounded Man's 
Lament — Improvised Bandages — Burying the Dead — 
General Joseph Lane in Command — "Jerked Beef" — 
Volunteers' Sports — A Scouting Duet — A Foot-race for 
"Glory and the Brush " is Declared a ' ' Draw ' ' — Encour- 
aging Pursuit — Eluding Capture — A Brave and Thought- 
ful Comrade 62 



CHAPTER VI. 

The Volunteers Follow the Indians — " Coyote " Indian Dogs 
Betray their Owners — General Lane's Courage — A Hand- 
to-Hand Encounter with a Snake-like Foe in Fire and 
Smoke— Shot Through the Heart—" I'm Killed, Write! " 



Contents. xv 

— What Disabled My Gun — "Break This the Same 
Way "—Were the Sights Moved? — " Somebody Made a 
Good Injun " — A Broken Wrist the Result of Jubilation — 
Red Devils Surrender — Improvised Litters — Our Dis- 
charge and General Lane's Remembrance — Generosity of 
a Swan-{\^k.€) Woman — Ben Wright's Scouting Party — A 
Disabled Comrade Disables His Weapons and Sleeps^'\\h. 
Them — Collecting Back Dues — Three Times Licked — 
Brandy in the Fourth Heat — The Lassoed Grizzly and 
the Mule — How the Cook Brought in a Grizzly 8i 



CHAPTER VII. 

Commencement of the Rogue River Indian War of 1855-56 — 
"Jump off Joe " — A "Friend Indeed " — A " Restless " 
Night — "You Don't Need Your Coffee, Mother" — An 
Unsolicited Escort — " Own up " — " Monkeying with the 
Escort ' ' — A Delusive Camp, and a Forced Go — " Put Back 
That Hat "—" There's a Mule Under Me "—A Rough 
Night March — A "Close Call " — Two Brave Women — 
The General Indian Outbreak of '55 — The Governor Calls 
for Volunteers — ' ' Go George! If I was a Man I 'd go with 
You" — The Muster — The Flag " Cayuse Principles " — 
Old Tried and True Friends — "Piecrust Promises " — De- 
tached as Scout — A Joke That Worked Both Ways — Court- 
martialed and Advised 98 



CHAPTER VIII. 

The Indian War of 1855, Continued — Fort Henrietta — Scout- 
ing — Changes in Thirty Years — Wallula as it Was — 
The Capture of Pu-pu-mox-mox — Almost Entrapped — 
Whitman, Spaulding and Eels — Whitman Massacre — 
Doctoring Caused it 117 



xvi Contents. 

CHAPTER IX. 

The Battle of Walla Walla — A Four-days' Fight — Indiaii 
Warfare — First Blood — A Man for a Horse — The Battle- 
Ground — A Captain 's Ardor Cooled with Lead — " I 'm 
Killed too Dead to Skin " — All on Account of the Flag — 
The ProperTime to Come To — A Hand-to-Hand Struggle — 
They Killed Yellow Snake — " Murdered a Friendly Chief ' ' 
— Pope Paraphrased — Colonel Kelley's Question An- 
swered by a Bullet — Elkskin Protects the Backbone — A 
Fatal "Bust " — Up a Tree — Bunch-grass Hats — Knocked 
Out by a Dying Medicine Man — "Nick" "Raised His 
Har " — Ambushed and Scalped — Governor I. I. Stevens . 129 

CHAPTER X. 

The Indian War of 1855-56, Continued— A Thin Bill of Fare— 
A "Larder" Augments the Larder — As a Courier — A 
Scouting Party that Prefers Horses Spring a Well-baited 
Indian Trap and Have a Lively Run — ' ' Assisting ' ' a 
Tired Horse, and How the "Pills Operated" — Disabled 
and Furloughed — The Volunteers Discharged — United 
States Troops Defeated — Colonel Wright's Equine Bone- 
Yard— The Close of the War— The Results— The First 
<>£'?«« _/?flf^ Settlers, and Their Experience 143 

CHAPTER XI. 

Selling Mining Ground — The "'Forty-Nine Song" — Off for 
the Sandwich Islands — Switched Off to Shoalwater — 
"The Bear Was Scared, I Wasn't " —Four Elk Out of 
One Band—' ' Heap Eat Meat, no Sick "—"A Close Call ' ' 
by a Mountain Wolf — Married to a Minister's Daughter — 
As Sheriff of Pacific County, W. T. — The Arrest of a 
Desperate Man — A Gun with a Big Bore — Suicide of the 
Prisoner — Recovering the "Bracelets" — As Lighthouse 
Keeper — " Froze Out and Busted " 152 



Contents. xvii 

CHAPTER XII. 

"Bully" Secessionist — A Widower With an Orphan 
Child— They Didn't "Haul the Old Flag Down."— Sold 
Out, and OfiF for Gold Dust— Old, Tried and True Friends 
—The Indian Trouble of 1862— A Scout Again— Bill 
White— "Dennis Will Stay Wid Ye's!"— An Indian 
Murder — Arresting a lyone Footman — Caution — His 
Short but Arousing Story — Cross-examination Con- 
vinces — A "Kick" About the Commander 165 



CHAPTER XIIT. ' 

To the Rescue — A Cautious Night-March — A Wrong Route 
and a Rough One — "What Did We Come For?"— A 
Daring Ride — A Gallant Charge — Rescued — Mistaken 
Indians — Blessings — The Coyote, the Bird and the Horse 
— Raw Ox-Teams and How to Drive Them — A Grotesque 
Company of Volunteers — The Bloody Blankets Caused 
Him to Hang — Hunting Redskins — Found Their Nests 
— After Them in Their Own Way — No Use for Wounded 
Men 182 



CHAPTER XIV. 

The Surprise Party and Adieu — Surrounded — Indian Signals 
Aid Our Escape — A Sudden Meeting — The ' ' Reduction ' ' 
— In a Tight Place — The Daring Ruse — An American 
Ambuscade Results in a Greater "Reduction" — A Com- 
rade Wounded — A Detail for Venison Reports Eight 
Carcases, Six " Black - tails " and Two "Red -skins" — 
More Ruses — Discretion — We Got Away with ' ' Hide 
and Seek ' ' — A Very Brief Geological Opinion — Procuring 
Brain Food for Shriveled Stomachs — The Campaign Ends 
by Our Being Honorably Discharged 199 



xviii Contents. 

CHAPTER XV. 

Tribute to a Deceased Comrade — JNIining at Canyon City, 
Oregon — In the Boise Basin — The Ashy Combination of 
a Miner's Safe Fails to Work on the "Dead Man " — A 
Destitute Widow Among Strangers — The Hunt for 
Brothers — First Masonic Funeral in Idaho — A ]\Iasonic 
Donation Party — "Atoning for Cussedness " — "A Wild 
Goose Chase " — Caught Out by Mountain Fever— Hos- 
pitable INIormons — Simplicity — A Delectable Grass 
Widow's Account of Her Former Domestic Troubles. 
Wife No. 2 the Cause — "Bro. Brigham's" Decree — Too 
Much Drama — Mormon Samaritans — Pungent Suggest- 
ions on Sects and Professions — The Storj' of The Old Timer 
and St. Peter— The (Building) Rock of Salvation 216 



CHAPTER XVI. 

Carr3dng the Virginia and Baunack Express — The McGruder 
I^Iurder — ' ' Vigilantes' ' — Our Prospecting Party — Un- 
expectedly Attacked — My Bedfellow Never Awakens — 
Myself Wounded — Unknown, and in an Unknown Grave 
— A Thirty-foot Fall Down a Shaft — A ' Wayfaring 
Trooper Gets "Underground" Aid — His Captain in Pur- 
suit — They Bought Some Extras, "Because They Were 
Cheap." — ^The Trooper Volunteers to Look After Extras 
— 'Wayfarers — An "Introduction Scarcely Ex- 
pected" — "Mosquitoes Had Something to Do With It" 
—Fine Trouting— The Trail to Kootenia— " All About 
Them 'Skeeters" — " A Bluffer Bluffed, on the Rim 
Rock" — Arrested In the Name Of "Her Majesty" — 
Documentary Evidence a Good Defense — British Law 
and Subjects — Ho For Web-foot — Oregon As It Was — 
Marriage Bells and Dutch Justice — The Cook — The Sweat 
Cloth and "Boston"— He Staid With the Bit 235 



Contents. xix 

CHAPTEP. XVII. 

From Kootenia to Walla Walla in '63 — A Widowed Sister — 
Packing— Walla Walla in 1863-64— The Vigilantes— The 
Burnt River Road Agents — Stampeding Pack-trains — 
Holding Up the Stage — Innocent Men Four Years in 
Prison — The Guilty Party Squeals on His "Pal" — 
The Attempted Arrest of Two Boys — A Moneyed Party 
Scared — Entertaining a Road Agent — We Got Into a 
Hurry When he had Business in Auburn — More Vigi- 
lantes — Making a Father-in-L,aw of a Partner — At Washoe 
Springs — How the News of the Assassination of lyincoln 
Was Received — The Man Who Rejoiced, and What he. 
Did Afterward 255 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

Afflicted with Stay-at-home-a-tive-ness — Disaster to the Pack- 
Train — Night Tramp in a Blizzard — Rescued — Designated 
by a " Pet Name " — No Apology Demanded — A Store at 
Blackfoot — Discovery — L,ibby Creek, M. T.-r-Traitorous 
Indians Murder my Father-in-Law and His Party, and 
Capture the Train and Cargo — Wounded, and Hid in the 
Mountains Twenty-one Days — Living on Huckleberries — 
The Lonely Grave — Eaten by Wolves — Rather Die Than 
Desert the Property — Epitaph — A Bad Neck Disease — 
Seven Thousand Dollars Worse than Broke — As a Black- 
smith — As a Farmer — Working Out of Debt — An Over- 
average Stake for a Settler — How we Opened Our Farms 
— A Tree Canvasser — ^The ex-Rebel Officer and His Cow- 
ardice — How he Fooled us 272 

CHAPTER XIX. 

As D. G. M. and G. L., Oregon State Grange — Arraigned on 
Three Counts : ist. Not Guilty ; 2d, Guilty ; 3d, an 
Alibi — As Manager fo<r the P. of H. Enterprises— The Talk- 
ative Man with the Auburn Hair — The First Steamboat 



XX Contents. 

of the Season— "Mated"— That Whistle ; " I Heard It" 
— He Didn't Want To Be an Angel — How Joe Got a Scar 
— "Indian Billiards" — Shipping Facilities in the '70's — 
Navigation Developed — Changes in Twenty Years — An 
Immense County Segregated — Going Five Hundred Miles 
to Vote 285 

CHAPTER XX. 

The Nez Perce Indian War of 1877 — How the News Spread With- 
out Wires — Fleeing and Fortifying — Elected Captain of a 
Company of Volunteers Before Knowing of the Trouble 
— Some Lively " Rustling " — A Quick March — A Tender 
of Services to the United States — Armed — Jealousy Be- 
tween Volunteer Companies — As a Guide — A Tricky 
' ' Little Wonder ' ' — A Forced Night March in a Wet 
Snowstorm — An Army Captain in a Soiled Condition — 
Damaged in Action, but Hurt in the Mud — Soldiers Bury- 
ing Comrades Some Days Slain — A West Pointer Foolishly 
Loses His ]\Ien — A Retreat From the First — Pursued — 
What I Know of a Camping Ground — General Howard 
"Tumbles to the Racket "---Why the Pickets Were Thus 
Posted — A Nervous Lieutenant Shoots a Sentinel — 
The Walla Walla Volunteers — A Company Scouting — 
Burned in Their Homes — Burjdng the Remnants of Set- 
tlers — Boating Under Difi&culties — My Proposed Scout . . 296 

CHAPTER XXI. 

I Wanted to Know — No One Anxious for that Walk — He 
Could Run; But Didn't "Hanker for the Honor" — A 
Nervy Stock Man — Preconcerted Movements — "Captain, 
You are Spreading it on too Thick " — A Daring Descent — 
Postponed the Feast — Raised a Black Head, and I ' ' Cov- 
ered It " — "Didn't Play Hog Worth a Cent " — Foraging 
' ' After Garden Truck for the General ' ' — An Army Order 
— Another — Reconnoitering — A Hard Ride — General 



Contents. xxi 

Howard as a Fellow Scout — Was it a Trap ? — I Would Soon 
Know— Booty Captured Single Handed — The General 
Commanding Disobeyed Me — Had I Doubted His Bravery ? 
— Howard Said: "I Never Forsake a Comrade" — "He 
Can't be Left Alone in this Affair " — My Ideas on the 
General's Plans, Movements, Activity, Persistence, De- 
termination, Forethought, and Devotions, Compared 
with Stay-at-home Soldiers 311 

CHAPTER XXII. 

r Can Go Where You Can"— But He Had to Go Rather 
Slow — A Camp in a Wet Snowstorm — An Irritating 
Counter-march — Forethought — Dividing Rations With 
Regulars — A Pompous Quartermaster — Fight — A Fine 
Stock Country— On the Trails— A Flank Movement— A 
Forced March — Lieutenant Raines and Eight Men Killed 
— McConville's Company of Volunteers — General How- 
ard's Order of Appreciation — Protecting a Command — 
"Shoot Down Your Horses for Breastworks" — The 
"Little Wonder" Works Wonders — Surrounded Soldiers 
Relieved — The Fight of the Gallant Seventeen — Captain 
Randall's Heroic Death — Some Others Mentioned "for 
Instance" — A Congressman's Son "Kissed By a Minie- 
ball— A Fool If he Did, A Coward If he Didn't— We Had 
Been Helpless All the While — As an Escort — "A Fool 
For Luck" — As Lieutenant-Colonel of Idaho and Wash- 
ington Volunteers — Shot by a Member of the Command . 325 

CHAPTER XXIII. 

In the Hospital — Nursing Wounds — The Kind People of Mt. 
Idaho— The First Shot of the Outbreak— Flying for Shel- 
ter—The Attack— Valiant Wounded— A Youthful Courier 
— Shot Through Both Legs Beside Her Dying Husband — 
A Young Lady Wandering for Refuge — Three Days in 
the Brush Naked with Her Babies — Stabbed by the Chief 



xxii Contents. 

Because She Wouldn't Submit — Murdered Children — A 
Friendly Squaw — Fifteen Days in the Brush with an 
Arrow in Him — Her Father an Involuntary Witness — A 
Broken-armed Baby Girl Found — Pat's Catholicism Saves 
the Two Women — Witnessing the War-Dance over His 
Daughter — Other Indian Atrocities — Why They Cut Out 
the Child 's Tongue — The Fiends Pensioned ; Not So With 
Orphans — The Tongueless Supplication — Some Suggest- 
ions to Congressmen — Volunteers' Horses Killed — A Bad 
Story Regarding the Boys Cures Me — The Plain Facts in 
the Case — The Volunteers Sent Home in an Ambulance 
With a " Toney " Escort — Home Again, and Shelved. . . 341 

CHAPTER XXIV. 

Slightly Disfigured, but Still in the Ring— What the Boys 
Did Next — They are Good Men Too — An Acknowledged 
Debt Unpaid — "Why this Thusness, " Who is to Blame 
— How Came Those People There — A Pretty Strong Pre- 
cedent — A Shame and an Outrage — "The Remnant" 
— Volunteers First — Indians Don't Print their Edicts — 
The Courier— The Effect— "In One Time, " And That's 
What They Do — Then Come the Troops, And That's 
What They Do— "Why Not"— "Scarce a Voice"— 
" 'Twas Ever Thus" — Some Ideas of My Own — A Short 
Descriptive Sketch — A Golden Basin — An Evergreen 
Fringe — Rare Sport — Mountain Music — A Chance for 
You— And That's What Ails My Head 354 

CHAPTER XXV. 

.-Vbout My Tribal Relations — General Howard in Council 
with the Palouses — Big Thunder — A Close Wa-wa — 
Again I am Elected to High Position Unknowingly 
— An Early Morning Tender of the Honor — An Indian 
Circle without Yells — Duly Installed into Office — 
" Timus, the White Chief of the Palouses "—They Must 



Co7t tents. xxiii 

Mind Me— The Sheriflf Didn't Make the Arrest— Two 
of " My Tribe " in Durance Vile— We Bailed Them Out 
— A Pony Present — How I Shipped Wheat — In Working- 
Dress— "The Old Man's On It, an' So's That Red Divil"— 
Entering Their Lands — As Expert — Transportation Fur- 
nished — The Way They Provisioned Me — " Kish-kish " 
The Contract Covered But One Drive — " Timus; Two 
Sisters; Kish-kish" — Quelling My Drunken Braves — 
Cus-cus — During the Smallpox Rage — They Would All 
Fight with Me 364 

CHAPTER XXVI. 

Robinson ' ' The Bilk ' ' — Remarkable Specimens — Walla 
Wallaians on a " Wild-Goose Chase " — Bostonians Ditto 
— Cincinnatians Double Ditto — Was He a Fraud ? Don't 
Believe It — The Treasure Will Yet Be Found — Bewil- 
dered Men Can't Retrace Steps — Untold Millions Yet 
Uncovered — The Inland Empire Walled in with Ore — 
Resources of the Columbia Basin — What Develops the 
Mines — ^Twenty-five Years' Progress — Ten Years Hence 
— Transportation ; Wages ; Money — A Brief Resum^ of 
Our Mining Prospects — Moody's Story — Eleven Gold- 
laden Miners Drop Dead on a Thirty-mile March — A Pure 
Mantle — Short Btirial Service — All For the Loved Ones 
at Home ^ 380 



CHAPTER XXVII. 

Dabbling in Politics — As Candidate for the Delegateship — 
An Eloquent Opposition — An Orderly Chairman — "I 
Spoke a Little Piece " — Elected by Acclamation ; " But- 
ton-holed ' ' — Bracing Up a " Shaky ' ' Aspirant — " Didn't 
I Make a Good Play? " — My Reward and Their Reasons 
for Granting It — Our Consolation — Republicans Too 
Plenty — A Joke That Was Reversed — The "Fighting 



xxiv Contents. 

Editor ' ' Was In — The Broken Cane ; ' ' Laying For Him ' ' 
— As a Second in a Duel — An Appropriate Dueling- 
Ground — The Fight Declared Oflf— He Stopped Carrying 
a Cane 392 

CHAPTER XXVIII. 

The Bannack Indian War of 1878 — A Picnic Gotten Up by 
Uncle Sam's Pets — Playing With the Lambs — A Spread 
of Pork and Cheese — Un feathering the Nests — The 
Lunching Party Entertained — Two Days in the Brush 
With a Broken Leg — A Flirtation With the Troops — 
Careless About Leaving Their Address — Killing Team- 
sters — A Gunboat — George Coggan ; Had Killed an 
Indian — "I Give it Up" — Pope Paraphrased — The Battle 
of Umatilla — " My Tribe ' ' Stay With Me — They 
' ' Evaporated ' ' — ]\Iow-itch and Couse — Clubs for Soldiers, 
But Cannon for Cow-boys — The Result 404 

CHAPTER XXIX. 

"Vic" Trivett; His Dying Request Complied With to the 
Letter — Jack Vincent, Joe Crabb, Captain T. J. Stump, 
Captain John Stump, Captain Van Pelt, Captain George 
Sampson — A Temporary Reform, Or Why We Joined the 
Good Templars — Our Last Appearance — Captain J. W. 
Troupe, Captain Eph Baughman, Captain Easterbrook — 
What Worked the "Coldness," and How We Warmed It 
Up — A Romance in Two Pages — An Old, Tried and True 
Bride — After Sixteen Years 415 



CHAPTER XXX. 

The Steamboats Boosted IMe, but the Railroad Knocked Me 
Down — In Politics — A Councilman — Why I Had Not 
Been There Before — Solid Advice; I Followed It — A 
Reference to the Late Senator Nesmith — Solid With 



Contents. xxv 

the Governor — Why I "Was Reckoned as Smart as Any 
Democrat — In Their Midst Before I Knew It — A Confi- 
dential Explanation — Ladies Biased For Home Pro- 
duction — Wisdom, Strength and Beauty, Wherein I 
Proved My Usefulness — The "Places of Public Resort" 
A Job On the Chief Clerk of the House— "It's Mesel 
That's not Loikin' the Looks av Yes" — " A Total Wreck " 
—Agent of the O. R. & N. Co— Defending My Wife's 
Property — She Slammed the Door in My Face — 
"Like Cures Like, or Kills — The Couch Prepared By 
Loving Hands — Offered $500 a Month; Declined — 
Why I Have Made This Inflection — A Safe Proposition — 
Busted — An Author's Trials 428 



A SUPPLEMENTAL CHAPTER. 

A Few Hints About the Northwest — Its Resources and Attrac- 
tions .. »,. ... - ... 44^ 



APPENDIX o 455 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 



CHAPTER I. 

My Parentage — Birthplace — Infancy and Boyhood — Early 
Recollections — In the Woods with a Lion — My First Earn- 
ings and How I Used Them — Incidents, Adventures, 
Trials and Sufferings in Crossing the Plains — The Cholera 
— Phrenology with an Ox-bow — She took My Arm — And 
I got hit — Warming up a Missouri Bed — Four Days With- 
out Food — A-footin' Alone — Ragged and Sick — In a 
Strange Land Among the Indians — "Bilked" Out of My 
Earnings — A Mountain Chill with Accompaniments — "A 
Friend Indeed. " 



M' 



Y name is GEORGE Hunter. I was born 
near Goshen, in Claremont County, Ohio, 
on the 20th day of December, 1835. 

My father's name is William. He is of the 
old Virginia stock, of revolutionary Hunters, and, 
as I am informed, a distant relative of Adam the 
First. 

My mother was a Meek ; a second cousin of the 
renowned free trapper and Oregon pioneer General 
Joseph L. Meek, who used to declare that he 



a Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

"first came to this country when Mount Hood 
was but a hole in the ground." 

From my childhood I was pronounced very- 
different from most boys. I preferred rambling 
through the tangled woods and bushy swamps, 
gathering nuts and sweet roots, catching birds, 
squirrels and insects, while accompanied by a 
large and faithful mastiff dog, in whom my 
parents placed implicit confidence; they knew 
that old "Ivion" would protect me and never 
leave me alone in the woods, and as I write this 
my heart thumps hard, while memory reverts to 
the scenes of my childhood and recalls the times 
when, lost and bewildered in those woods, I would 
always find my home, by following that noble 
brute as he trotted ahead of me, saying, by his 
actions, "follow me, Georgie, I know the way." 

To my infantile associations with that faithful 
friend I attribute much of my success, in training 
and educating wild horses and other animals, in 
later years. 

From infancy I have always abhorred the re- 
straints of a school-room, and sought a wild and 
roving life, only educating myself mechanically 
as occasion required, to fill the positions which 
emergency, fortune, or friends, placed me in. 

One reason being that, until I was sixteen 
years of age, I was puny and delicate and re- 
quired out-door exercise. 



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Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 3 

During the winter of 1849, ^Y father caught 
the " California Gold Fever," and started with 
his family, consisting of mother, four sons and 
four daughters — of which I was the third in age 
(of the children, I mean) for the new Eldorado. 

Loss of stock from the murrain necessitated 
his stopping in Iowa, from whence my two elder 
brothers went up the Mississippi to " try their 
luck," steamboating and lead-mining. 

Being so young and frail, father thought I 
would be an incumbrance to them, so he kept 
me near our new home, which he had entered 
with his " Mexican Land Warrant." 

Being a good blacksmith, he constructed a 
large breaking-plow, with wheels to guide it, and 
having secured the use of an ox-team "on the 
shares," I earned for my father, during that 
year's breaking-season, a yoke of oxen and two 
good cows, and for m3^self a good rifle and a 
year's outfit of clothing, while father had to 
forward money to my brothers for them to come 
home on. 

In the spring of 1852 my father rigged up 
two teams of six yoke of cattle each, and we 
started across the plains for Oregon, driving a 
dozen cows along. 

Our wagon-boxes were decked over, so that we 
could sleep in them as well as in the tents that 
we hauled for that purpose. We had a six- 
months' supply of provisions and clothing. 



4 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

A young man named John Haligan, an Irish- 
man, who had been educated for the priesthood, 
but on account of ill health had abandoned 
that intention and become a country school- 
teacher, " engaged passage " with us, thinking 
that the trip would be beneficial to him. He 
was small and delicate, and one of the best men 
I ever knew. More of him hereafter. 

At Kanesville, near Council Bluffs, on the 
Missouri river, we joined an emigrant train of 
about fifty wagons, loaded with men, women and 
children, and the necessary outfit of arms, ammu- 
nition, clothing, provisions, etc., for the tedious 
seven-months' journey over the parched plains, 
burning sands and arid wastes intervening 
between us and the " promised land," which 
journey is now accomplished in a palace-car in 
ninety-six hours. 

For protection against the numerous bands of 
marauding and hostile Indians that infested the 
route in those days, we organized, a la military, 
chosing one Smith, of Bonaparte, Iowa, as 
captain of the train. We also chose sub-officers 
to serve under him, and from among our able- 
bodied men and boys was formed relays for 
guard, picket and herd duty. 

Of the dangers, trials, privations, hardships, 
heart-rendings and sufferings endured by those 
who crossed the plains in early days, very much 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 5 

has been said and written, but not enough ; nor 
am I capable of conveying with tongue or pen 
any adequate idea of the ordeals those plucky 
people necessarily underwent. 

The thousands of lonely mounds yet to be seen 
along the old emigrant roads — on mountain, 
desert and plain — without monument, headstone, 
paling, or anything else to call attention to them, 
except, perchance, a few rocks that were piled over 
them to prevent the wolves from exhuming their 
treasures, are the only monuments to the memory 
of the many who in those days fearlessly faced 
the setting sun, and " fell by the wayside." 

After a thorough inspection of all the teams, 
wagons, arms and stores, as a precautionary 
measure against possible hindrance, we were 
ferried over the Missouri on a steamboat that 
was brought there for the purpose, and soon found 
ourselves actually started on the toilsome journey, 
and away from civilization. 

As the saying went " everybody came to Oregon 
in '52," and there being an almost continuous 
string of teams and loose stock on the road, for 
a distance of 500 miles, we soon had to drive our 
cattle a mile or two from the road for feed. The 
water became impure, and much sickness pre- 
vailed along the line ; finally the cholera broke 
out among the people in a malignant form and 
the majority of those attacked were soon buried. 



6 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

Our captain and many otliers of our own train fell 
a prey to this disease and were left by the road- 
side under a few shovelfuls of earth and some 
rocks. The burial services were primitive and 
brief and no coffins were used. 

In the case of our captain, an aged pioneer 
who was beloved by the whole party, when he 
was attacked we encamped on a low bottom near 
the Platte, and I was beside him during his few 
remaining terrible hours. I shall never forget 
that cold, foggy and dismal night, when the still- 
ness was only broken by the groans of the other 
sick and dying, and the howling of the myriads 
of prairie wolves around us, who seemed in- 
tuitively to know that flesh must be left there. 

Next day we dug a shallow grave, baled out as 
much of the water as we could and wrapping the 
remains of the noble man in a blanket and a 
feather bed, we held them down in the water till 
the earth and stones were piled above them, then 
leading away his two sorrowing sons we moved 
on westward, leaving him to his solitary sleep 
far away from friends or kindreds, in a desolate 
and uninhabited region. For weeks we were 
scarcely out of sight of one or more burial parties. 

It' was said that if there was any devil in a 
man the plains would bring it out, and I am 
sure they would have tried the patience of a 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 7 

more saintly person than the devil is usually 
given credit for having. 

In our train was a family named Kent, con- 
sisting of a man, wife, son and several daugh- 
ters. 

This family was stricken with the cholera; 
and to keep them with the train, I volunteered 
to drive one of their teams. 

After the son " Ben " got well Kent prevailed 
on my father to allow me to continue driving 
till the rest of the family recovered. This 
"Ben" was a burly, red -headed scamp, two 
years older than myself and equal to two of me 
in sjze. He was the most disagreeable fellow it 
was ever my ill luck to meet with. He was con- 
tinually raising the deuce with his sick sister 
and mother, quarreling with his father, and 
fighting his team. Finally, his oxen became so 
unruly from his abuse, that he couldn't manage- 
them at all, and he traded teams with me, and 
afterward would trade first one yoke of oxen 
then another. To all of this I had to submit or 
be in a continuous quarrel, which I didn't relish 
owing to his size. But one morning he overdid 
the thing by trying to take an ox-bow out of 
my hand when I was yoking up. 

He declared he would " have that bow," and he 
"staid with it" till he ''got it bad'' right over 
his head, and I am of the opinion that he would 



8 Reminiscences of art Old Timer. 

have got it worse if my father had not caught 
hold of me in time to prevent a repetition of the 
giving business. 

Father, thinking that if the Kents could fight 
they were able to drive their own teams, called 
me back to his own wagons, and it was remark- 
ed that that ox-bow had either reduced Ben's 
bump of combativeness, or developed that of 
caution. 

One thing is certain, I knew him in the West 
for years after and he never attempted to take 
anything away from me again. 

Soon after this incident our train " split up " 
near Ft. Laramie. Passing on, we found our- 
selves in company with a family named McFar- 
land who were also from Iowa. This family 
consisted of a sprightly girl of about fifteen sum- 
mers, named Helen ; her father a good-natured 
fellow, and her stepmother who was a " holy ter- 
ror." One day we reached a stretch of country 
that was void of water, and our guide-books be- 
ing imperfect, we were led into the error of not 
filling our water casks. After traveling eight or 
ten hours, we all became intensely thirsty, and, 
being a good walker, I volunteered to go ahead, 
fill the canteens and return to meet the rest ! 

Returning with the water, I met Helen, in 
company wdth my sister and our friend Haligan, 
some distance in advance of the train; giving 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 9 

them some water, I went on to meet tlie others, 
Hele7i taking my arm. Meeting my father's team 
first, I was supplying the family with some water, 
when Mrs. Mc. came up, and, seeing Helen's 
hand on my arm, she struck at her with a stick 
she carried. Seeing the motion, I stepped in 
front of Helen, and received a smart whack over 
the shoulder. 

Mc, the papa, seeing the act, jumped from his 
wagon, and gave Mrs. Mc. a lift in the eye^ say- 
ing: " Is this the way you treat a boy who goes 
ahead and brings back water to keep us from 
choking ? " Mrs. Mc. declared she would teach 
Helen " better than to be so familiar with young 
men.^'' (This was the first time I was ever ac- 
cused of being more than a boy.) The knock- 
down became general between the two, and, 
finally, my father took a ha^id ; "that settled it," 
and there was another " split up" in the train. 

Our family, being left alone with our teams, 
day after day we toiled on, leaving here an ox 
and there a cow, from the effects of poor grass 
and alkali water. Finally, we had to leave a 
wagon ; and when we reached old Fort Hall, on 
Snake River, we found ourselves with but three 
yoke of poor oxen and a wagon. 

To lighten ourselves, we were compelled to 
throw away provisions, until we had scarcely 
sufficient left to last us three weeks. 



lo Remzmscences of an Old Timer. 

At this time we were all with the wagon except 
one of my brothers, who had gone ahead with 
another family. Believing two men were enough 
to care for the team, Haligan and myself con- 
cluded to go on ahead ; thus, working a saving 
of the provisions, and, if possible, send help back 
to meet the rest. So, while father was out with 
us after the cattle one morning, we told him of 
our resolution, and he, realizing the necessity of 
such a movement, gave his permission ; and then 
and there we bade him good-bye, and commenced 
the weary journey of nearly a thousand miles 
on foot, without provisions or money, and my- 
self very poorly clad. I dared not return to the 
wagon, knowing that my mother would not allow 
me to start on such a trip ; and, as will hereafter 
appear, that was the last time that I saw any of 
the family for more than two years. 

Day after day we plodded along, getting a bite 
to eat here and there, as luck would favor us ; 
and, on one occasion, traveling four days and 
nights without eating a mouthful. 

On many a cold night did we pull bunch-grass, 
and, piling it up, burn it, then lie down on the 
warm place, and thus get a little sleep. 

At John Days river we met a suppl}'- train, that 
had been fitted out in the Willamette Valley, 
and started out to the relief of distressed emi- 
grants. They gave us a little flour to go on with 



Reminiscences of aji Old Timer. 1 1 

but would give us nothing to return to the wagon 
with, for as they very justly said, all they had 
was needed by those in distress behind us. 

In the latter part of November, we reached the 
Dalles of the Columbia, where we found a Catholic 
priest by the name of Mesplie, he couldn't speak 
a word of English, but Haligan, being a fine 
French scholar, explained to him our situation, 
and he immediately prepared for us what I 
thought was the best meal of victuals of which I 
ever partook. 

Father Mesplie prevailed on Haligan to re- 
main there, and teach him the English language ; 
thus I was left to wander alone, in a strange and 
uncivilized land. 

This priest gave me some provisions, and in 
company with some friendly Dalles Indians, I 
struck across the country, to the Tych (or Indian) 
valley, to intercept my folks. After stopping a 
few days with these Indians, I learned that my 
father with the family, had passed there some 
days before my arrival, in company with one 
Belknap. I afterwards learned that my father 
had struggled along till he found himself and 
family on the top of the John Day mountain at 
lo o'clock at night with only one yoke of poor 
steers, and mother very sick. Here one of the 
remaining cattle fell dead in the yoke. My elder 
brother having left them on account of scarcity 



12 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

of food; my father and oldest sister rolled the 
dead ox out of the road, and he taking one end 
of the yoke, my sister took the steer by the 
horns, and thus they managed to roll the wagon 
down the long, steep, and rocky hill to the John 
Days river. The reader may form a faint idea 
of the trials of that family when he pictures to 
himself a worn out man with his 15-year-old 
daughter, being pulled, pushed, jerked and 
dragged, bruised and bleeding, down a two-mile 
hill in the dark; steering a wagon, in which lies 
a sick mother and small children that are crying 
for bread. 

The next day a Mr. Belknap came along with 
a team of fat cattle ; he had started to meet some 
friends, that he expected that season, but learn- 
ed they had not started that year. Father hired 
him and his team to take the wagon and family 
across the Cascade mountains and into Willa- 
mette valley, which they reached in safety, and 
finally settled near Corvallis which was then 
called " Marysville." 

My mind being easy regarding the rest of the 
family and fearing that the snow was too deep 
for me to cross the Cascades by the " Barlow 
Route " I returned to the Dalles, got some more 
provisions from the priest, and started down the 
Columbia river on the trails. 

(I will here state that some of the emigrants 
sent their wagons and families down the river 



Remmzscences of an Old Timer. 13 

on flat boats, or barges, to tbe Upper Cascades, 
and drove their stock down these trails.) 

Although I had been having the chills and 
fever, which always affects my head (probably 
my weakest member ; fever always affected our 
whole family in the same way — their heads I 
mean), I pushed on ''afoot and alone." The 
trail was at that time a " rough and rugged road 
to travel." Towards the night of my first day 
out, when on the summit of a spur of the mount- 
ains over which the trail led, I had a chill and 
being tired out I selected a convenient log, col- 
lected wood, made a good fire, and sat me down 
to pass a long and weary night, with wild ani- 
mals howling around me. To say that this was 
a "lonely vigil " is drawing it mild, for remem- 
ber I was but sixteen years old. But it probably 
required these lessons to prepare me for the 
rough and somewhat eventful life I have since 
passed through. Suffice it to say, that night like 
all others came to an end. 

It had snowed continually, and in the morning 
I found myself wet and cold and but little 
refreshed by my night's entertainment. The 
snow was now so deep that it required my utmost 
skill to follow the trail. About noon, on getting 
back to the river, I found two men in charge of 
a few oxen they were trying to drive down. The 
owner's name was Adams. They had been out 



14 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

a long time, and were out of "grub." Adams 
proposed that I should help them drive the 
cattle, promising to give me five dollars on our 
arrival at the Cascades, if I would do so. I told 
him I had the chills, and could hardly walk, 
much less drive cattle ; but he said I could keep 
the trail, and keep up the hind ones, while he 
and his man did the rest, and the five dollars 
would pay my fare from the Cascades to Portland. 
So I divided my provisions with them and helped 
them drive the cattle. Arriving at the Cascades, 
I asked Adams for my five dollars. He said he 
didn't think I had earned anything. I said I 
had told him I wasn't able to do much, but would 
do all I was able to; that he and his man had 
eaten all the provisions that the priest had given 
me, and tried to reason with him, but to no 
purpose. He being a powerful man and I a sick 
boy, of course he had the brute force on his side, 
and knowing this, I turned from him with prob- 
ably the first " cuss words " of my life on my 
lips. It was probably well for both of us that 
I had nothing with me that would 7nake us equal. 
I cautioned him to look out for me, if we ever 
met on anything like an equal footing — which 
the reader will see that we did later on. 

Walking across the portage to the lower cas- 
cades, I saw a man (whom I afterward learned 
was the mate) in charge of a gang of men who 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 15 

were carrying pieces of " knocked-down " wagons 
aboard of a small steamboat that was running 
between tliere and Portland. I " braced up " and 
told liim that I had no money, was worn out and 
sick, and asked him if I couldn't work my 
passage to Portland. 

After he had taken a look at me, he said I 
could have passage, if I would help put the 
freight on board. I at once " tackled " a wagon- 
reach, and tried to carry it on board ; but, in my 
weak condition, it was sometimes boy and some- 
times wagon -reach. Finally, a voice from the 
deck above asked : " What's that boy trying to 
do?" — (this from the captain). The mate an- 
swered : " He is sick, worn out, and broke, and 
wants to work his way to Portland." The captain 
said : " Send him up here." I went up to him, 
caring but little what became of me. The cap- 
tain, seeing my condition, and being a big, 
warm-hearted. Western man, caused me to sit 
down and tell my story. After listening to me, 
he called the steward, and said : " Take this boy 
and take care of him ; " then, turning to me, he 
said : " I guess my men can load this boat with- 
out your help." " But," said I, " I am give out, 
and can't walk much further, and this is my only 
chance to get to some place where I can rest and 
get work ; " then, while tears trickled down his 
swarthy cheeks, he said : " God bless us, boy ! — do 



1 6 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

you think I would put you ashore ? " And he 
again said to the steward : " Take him and feed 
him, and put him to bed; that's the place for 
that boy." 

I need not say that his orders were obeyed 
to the letter ; and, after satisfying my weak stom- 
ach, I was shown a good mattress and blankets, 
upon which I laid my tired and worn body, 
and, with thoughts of soon meeting my father, 
mother, sisters and brothers, I soon fell into a 
deep sleep, which continued till we reached Port- 
land, when the captain had me awakened, and 
said to me: "Wait till the other passengers land, 
and I'll see that you have a place to stop for the 
night, and until you can find something to do " 
(this was about midnight). He placed me in 
charge of a colored man named Francis, who 
kept a boarding-house, making the necessary 
explanations, etc. I accompanied my new-found 
friend (who had a big, white heart, if it was 
covered with a black skin) , bidding the captain a 
feeling good-night! (I regret that I have forgot- 
ten the name of that generous-hearted captain ; 
also, that I have never had the pleasure of meet- 
ing him since.) 



CHAPTER II. 

On Foot from Portland to Yreka — Hunting odd Jobs to pay 
" Grub "—A Generous Family— " Eat, Dig and Chill"— 
Yreka in '52 — "Beef Straight" — Salt $1 per oz. — A 
Snow Blockade — A Successful Deer Hunt — "Rabbit on 
the Brain "—"Buckeye" and "Grizzly " — A Terrible 
Journey — " Razors in the Air" — Comrades Want to Die — 
Frozen Hands and Feet — Crippled Comrades — All for 
Gold. 

I REMAINED with Mr. Francis over nigHt, 
had breakfast and felt better. Finding that 
there were fifty strong emigrants for every work 
to be had in Portland (which was then but a vil- 
lage), I "struck out" through the timber on 
the Lafayette road, hoping to obtain work, and 
eventually find my folks. I had not traveled more 
than ten or twelve miles when a chill came on 
me, and when the fever raised, that follows a 
chill, I laid down by the road. When I got able 
to resume my journey I was confused and took 
the wrong end of the road. Passing a house near 
a swale, I asked an elderly woman who was out 
near the road, how far it was to Lafayette, she 
=^ (17) 



1 8 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

said: " you are not going toward Lafayette, but 
to Portland;" and slie asked me if I liad not 
passed there some time previous, I replied that I 
thought not, that I had come from Portland, and 
was on my way up the valley. She said " you 
are going toward Portland now, and it was you 
that passed here some time since, are you sick ? " 
I told her I had been having the chills, and was* 
then just getting over one. 

She said : "I thought you were not well when 
you passed here before, and had a mind to call 
to you." I thanked her, and turned to proceed 
in the right direction, when she said : " No, no ! 
You must come right in, and have something to 
eat, and take a rest. My husband will be home 
soon from Oregon City, and, as he is quite a 
doctor, he will cure you." On telling her that I 
had no money, and was looking for something 
to do to earn a living till I could find my people, 
she said : " Poor boy ! — you can't work or travel 
when you are sick ; so, come right in and get 
well, and we will find you work when you are 
able to do anything." So I stopped with her; 
and I must say that my ow7i mother could not 
have been more kind to me than was this noble 
woman. Her husband came home in due time, 
and gave me the necessar}'- medicines. (The 
name of this family was Merrill.) I staid there 
ten or twelve days. 



Remtmscences of an Old Tmier. 19 

After a day or two, I found that Mr. Merrill 
had quite "a patch" of potatoes, and that he 
wanted them dug. So I dug, ate, and chilled ; 
ate, chilled, and dug by turns, till the chills and 
fever were broken up, then I dug and ate. At 
digging I got tired, but at eating I could have 
put in the entire day^ if my stomach would have 
permitted ; at any rate, I "put in my best licks" 
as long as any of the famil}^ were at the table, and 
quit just as hungry as I commenced. Finally, 
the old lady told me to come in and get a lunch 
between meals, as she knew that emigrants never 
got enough to eat during the first few months 
after crossing the plains. 

Potatoes being dug (and '''' grub'^'* running 
short) ^ I left this pleasant family and started on 
up the valley, making a few rails here and doing 
odd jobs there to pay my board. From place to 
place I trudged on through the Willamette Val- 
ley and Umpquas, hearing nothing of my father 
or the family. At last I got in with a pack-train, 
and worked my way to Jacksonville, in Rogue 
River Valley. From there I footed it up the val- 
ley and over the Siskiyou Mountains to Yreka, 
in Siskiyou County, California, arriving there 
on the last of December, 1852, just as it began 
snowing. The snow had soon fallen so deep that 
for six or seven weeks pack-trains could not cross 
the mountains. This new mining camp (Yreka) 



20 Reminiscences of aji Old Timer. 

was poorly provided with supplies — in fact, there 
was scarcely enough provisions, except beef, to 
last two weeks. Here I stopped some weeks, 
living on " beef straight " without salt. Salt sold 
at a dollar an ounce, and then only upon a certifi- 
cate from a doctor in cases of chronic diarrhoea. 

Here I fell in with an uncle, by the name of 
Martin Fisher; he having married my father's 
eldest sister. Fisher was one of the most power- 
ful men I ever knew, being over six feet in height 
and well porportioned. He was an old frontiers- 
man of the Western Atlantic States, a great 
hunter, and a bold daring man. Uncle and I 
made our home with an emigrant family, while 
here, who were as poor as ourselves, and beef 
the only provision to be had for love or money ; 
and if there had been ever so much "grub" in 
camp, our " stock in trade " would have been 
composed largely of lovc^ for we were confound- 
edly short of the metallic substance. 

We hearing there was any amount of game at 
the head of Shasta valley, near the foot of Mt. 
Shasta, some forty miles distant, procured guns 
and ammunition, and in company with our emi- 
grant friend, started for the hunting grounds. 
Our friend had a couple of small mules on which 
we carried our blankets. He went about twenty- 
five miles with us, then returned to his family 
after we had arranged with him to come out in a 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 2 1 

few days after our venison and other game. He 
could easily find us, as we would keep up a smoke 
after the first day or two. 

There was little or no snow in this valley, till 
we reached the juniper timber at its head. These 
junipers are a species of the cedar, and as they 
stand, from a distance, much resemble our old 
orchards "back in the States." The boughs 
crowning their low tops, form a perfect thatch, so 
thick that the hardest rain storms scarcely pene- 
trate through, to the sandy soil beneath. 

Upon reaching these friendly junipers, we 
spread our blankets under the one that would 
afford us the best shelter. 

The snow here was about ten inches deep. 
Fisher said " you build a fire and arrange camp, 
and I'll look around and see if there are any 
deer near by." He struck out, and I commenced 
gathering dry twigs to start a fire, thinking we 
would have to pass a hungry night, for we had 
nothing with us to eat, depending entirely on 
our guns to supply our wants. 

While I was thus occupied, a jack rabbit 
jumped up some twenty steps distant. To pick 
up my rifle was but the work of a second, and as 
its sharp crack rang out, assuring me that here 
at least was " supper for two," a score or more of 
his kind, bobbed up their mule-like ears, seeming 
to say, " get your breakfast as well ; " acting on 



22 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

this suggestion, I soon had three or four of the 
long -eared gents stretched out before the fire, 
which was now burning famously. 

These rabbits are very large^ weighing from 
eight to twenty pounds. Our mode of cooking 
them was to roast them, hy hanging them on 
short sticks before the fire. While I was engaged 
in this pleasant duty, thinking I certainly would 
" have the brag " on my uncle when he returned, 
I heard his gun fire. " There," thought I, " more 
rabbit !" (The reader will see that by this time 
I had rabbit on the brain.) Again and again 
Fisher's gun spoke, and, knowing him to be a 
"dead shot," at each report would think, "more 
rabbit;" for I had rabbit so firmly fixed on 
my mind, that nothing else could have found 
room to enter it, especially while the fragrant 
smell of the cooking one filled my nostrils- 
appealing to my empty stomach. 

Imagine my surprise, when m}^ uncle came in a 
few minutes later, carrying a fine deer, and told 
me he had two more lying a few hundred 3^ards 
out, assuring me that deer were plenty here, and 
that they were not wild, as they had probably 
never before been hunted with guns. We soon 
carried in the other two deer, and by the time 
Fisher had dressed his deer, my rabbit was 
cooked to perfection. After supper we laid our 
tired bodies under the juniper, and were soon in 



Reminiscences of a7t Old Tinier. 23 

the "land of nod," dreaming of family, friends, 
deer and "jasack rabbits." Next morning we 
went out and killed several fine deer, as we did on 
eacb succeeding day. 

Coming into camp one evening, three or four 
days after our arrival, we observed a dense 
smoke curling above the trees some distance 
away. This assured us that our friend had 
come out and was trying to find our whereabouts. 
We gathered a lot of green juniper-boughs and 
placed them on the fire, which made a dense 
smoke, and within an hour we heard his wel- 
come shout. He had seen our signal, and 
hastened to join us. 

When he saw the amount of game we had 
hanging around our camp, he was more than 
pleased. 

We spent a pleasant night together, and in the 
morning packed his mules with venison and 
started him back to his family, he promising to 
return within a week, unless the snow went off 
the mountains so that pack trains could come in. 
Our luck continued good, and when he came to 
us the second time, believing we had suf&cient 
venison to last till pack trains could cross the 
mountains, we returned with him to Yreka. 

Hearing that there was no snow in the Sacra- 
mento valley, and that there were plenty of pro- 
visions at Shasta city (an older mining camp) near 



24 Reminiscences of an Old Tinier. 

the head of that valley, some hundred and twenty- 
five or fifty miles distant from Yreka and across 
two ranges' of mountains, Fisher and I de- 
termined to try for "Shasta city, warm weather 
and grub;" so, leaving Yreka "we hoofed it" 
through Scotts valley to the foot of Scotts moun- 
tain where we found about fifty miners, who had 
been trying from day to day to break a trail over 
the mountain and had succeeded as far as the 
summit, but feared to go further as there they 
sunk to their waists in snow, and, knowing that 
it was still deeper on the south side and the 
mountain much steeper, if they should fail to get 
through they couldn't get back again. Upon 
inquiry we learned that it was only sixteen 
miles across to the "Mountain House" on the 
other side, and of this distance the trail was 
broken for seven or eight miles. Fisher deter- 
mined to try it so I concluded to cast my lot with 
him, as also did an old miner called " Grizzly," 
(I never knew any other name for him); I was 
called " Buckeye " for some years, because I came 
from Ohio. Nearly all the miners, hunters and 
scouts were nicknamed, or went by their first 
names, as "Jack" or " Bill" with other embellish- 
ments added to suit friends or enemies as occa- 
sion presented itself, in the early and venture- 
some mining days, and the settling up of the 
Pacific States and Territories. 



Reminiscences of an Old Tinier. 25 

Snowslioes and tlieir use were not known to 
the miners in those days. But, early one morn- 
ing we three, led by Fisher, started up the moun- 
tain, reaching the summit about 11 o'clock. 
Thus far the trail was partly broken ; but now 
came the " tug of war." For me to say how deep 
the snow was would be out of the question, as 
we never touched bottom. 

We found that the parties who had thus far 
broken the trail had gone a short distance down 
the mountain, became scared, and struggled back, 
having to throw away their blankets and cloth- 
ing. I unrolled a bundle of these blankets, and 
found a case of ivory-handled razors. These I 
stuck in my pocket. Fisher, seeing this, asked: 
" What are you going to do with those razors ? " 
(Bear in mind, I had no beard then.) I replied: 
" I am going to cut the throat of the first man 
that gives out or says ' go back.' " Little did I 
imagine what was before us when I said this. 

After resting a few moments, we boldly pushed 
on, "injun file," Fisher leading, "Grizzly" next, 
and " Buckeye " following. We, like the others, 
soon found it necessary to throw away our blan- 
kets and clothing, and reduce ourselves to "light 
marching order," for we were sinking to our arm- 
pits in the snow at every move. Within an hour 
I took the lead, as I was but a boy, and the light- 
est of the party. The others weighed over two 



26 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

hundred eacli. For the rest of the day we rolled 
and pushed ourselves down the mountain. 

At night we tried to build a fire, wood being 
plenty; but our matches were wet from melted 
snow ; so we had to travel on, or freeze. On 
down the mountain we went, till we struck 
Trinity river, which, like all other mountain 
streams, ran like a mill-tail. 

The mountain spurs frequently came to the 
water's edge, and, as we couldn't climb over 
them, we were forced to wade the river. We 
joined hands, so that if one slipped, the others 
could support him, and into the water we went. 
It came up to our hips, and was by no means 
warm. Three times during that night, we were 
forced to wade that stream, for we could only 
walk on level or descending ground. 

About lo o'clock the next day we came to the 
long looked-for house ; but lo ! the snow had 
broken its back^ and onl}^ the gable-end protruded, 
warning us that we had not yet reached a place 
of rest or refreshment, both of which we so sorely 
needed. 

We afterward learned that the proprietors of 
this house had retreated down the river some 
sixteen miles, to " Verry's ranch," earlier during 
the storm, their provisions having given out. 

During all of this time we had nothing to eat, 
and for weeks previous had lived on poor beef 



Reminiscences of an Old Tinier. 27 

" straight," wHcli accounts, to some extent, for 
the slow time we made. To say the least, the 
sight of that broken and snow-covered house 
was a gloomy one, indeed. 

As none of us had ever traveled the trail 
before, we knew not how far we yet had to walk 
before finding a place of rest and help. One 
thing was as as sure as fate : to stop 7nea7it death. 
So after a few minutes' look at the wreck, we 
resumed our weary tramp, wet, cold and hungry. 
In this mountain valley the snow was about 
eight feet deep, and had commenced melting, so 
that every gulch formed a small lake on reaching 
the level bottom land ; hence, for the rest of the 
day, we had it snow, ice and water, snow, water 
and ice, and night coming' on, we had it dupli- 
cated. 

About eight o'clock the next morning, after 
wading some hundreds of yards through snow, 
water and ice, Fisher aud " Grizzly " laid down 
by a tree and said it was of "no use," they were 
"give out," and couldn't go a foot further. God 
knows, we had had weary work for many hours 
past. I scolded, begged, and probably swore 
some, to get them to try it a little further, but of 
no use ; move they would not. To say that this 
was a time to try a boy's soul, would be putting 
it mild. 



28 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

There I stood in snow six feet deep, sur- 
rounded by mountains, in a strange land, not 
knowing how far I was from help, with two 
given-out comrades — one a beloved uncle — after 
having breasted the snow, ice and water for fifty 
odd hours without anything to eat. 

Even now it makes my heart tremble as I look 
back and think of myself as I stood there, 
scolding, begging and swearing by turns, to get 
these loved comrades again to their feet. At 
last I had to move on or freeze myself; so, with 
tears trickling down my cheeks, I started on 
alone. After getting some hundreds of yards 
away, and being about to pass out of sight, I 
turned to take a last look at them. This look 
was too much for me, and I returned to them. 
As I was approaching, I caught uncle Fisher's 
eye (he had become somewhat rested), and 
thought of the razors I found on the mountain, 
and of what I had said at the time. I jerked the 
case out of my pocket, pulled one of the razors 
out of it, and with as fierce a look as I could 
assume, I stepped up to Fisher, flourishing the 
razor. 

This joke proved too much for him ; with a 
sickly laugh he staggered to his feet, and helped me 
get " Grizzly " up and force him along ; we hadn't 
made more than four hundred yards further than 
I had been, when I saw a smoke curling up 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 29 

from among the trees. This welcome sight caused 
me to raise a joyous yell which was answered, 
and in a few moments I saw twenty or thirty 
men coming as fast as they could to meet us. 
Seeing us staggering, (if the road had been sixty 
yards wide we couldn't have stayed in it, frozen 
and benumbed as we were) , they took hold of us 
and assisted us as though we were babies, pour- 
ing in a stream of questions, " Where'e ye from ? " 
" How long have ye been on the trip? " " Are ye 
froze?" Is Yreka an' all them northern camps 
snowed in an' starved to death? " All these ques- 
tions I had to answer, as my comrades were too 
far gone to make intelligent answers. 

I was apparently all right, till the warm air 
from the house struck me as the door was opened, 
then I gave way and fell as one dead. Being 
young and light they held my feet and hands in 
snow water till the frost was extracted (as I was 
afterwards told), thus probably preventing me 
from being a cripple for life, for my hands and 
feet were badly frozen, as were those of both the 
others, but they being such large men were not 
so easily managed. "Grizzly" had both his legs 
amputated just below the knees, and Fisher went 
home as I afterwards learned a cripple for life. 

When I came to myself, m}^ hands and feet 
were bundled up in cloths. 



30 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

Some two weeks afterwards I started on to 
Shasta city, in company with, the packers who 
had been snowed in at Verry's ranch, leaving 
Fisher and " Grizzly " to come on when able. 
Fisher returned home to Iowa as soon as he got 
able. I never heard exactly what became of 
" Grizzly," only that he got well, minus his feet. 

There were some two hundred mules, laden 
with general merchandise and provisions for 
Yreka, frozen to death or starved at Verry's 
ranch, leaving their owners with aparajos and 
cargoes cooped up for weeks as above described. 

As the snow melted off, with warm winds, 
these packers and miners started for Weaver- 
ville, French Gulch and other places, I in their 
company, with hands and feet bundled up in 
rags and pieces of blankets. 

My feet and hands were very raw yet, but I 
managed to make six, eight, or ten miles a day, 
until at last one evening I reached Shasta city. 



CHAPTER III. 

Shasta City in '53 — A "Rough Spoken," though Helpful 
Friend — A Ivetter of Introduction and its Results — Pros- 
pecting Old and Yotmg Humbugs — A Grizzly Bear in 
Camp— iL "Tearing" Climb— Why He Whistled— Nine 
Hundred Dollars in a Day — Caved in on and Breasted, 
while ' ' Breasting ' ' — Exhumed by Fellow Miners. 

SHASTA city in the spring of '53, was sur- 
rounded b}^ flourishing mining camps. On 
my arrival there, I sought out a hotel called 
the " Kossuth House," which was kept by a 
Dutchman. Approaching the proprietor, I told 
him I had no money, but wanted supper, bed 
and breakfast. Without looking up he said, 
there had been so many emigrants there broke 
during the last fall and winter that he couldn't 
keep any more. This was about my first ex- 
perience in bumming. 

I was leaving the house when a man that was 
sitting by the stove about as full of whisky as an 
owl, stepped forward, and catching me by the 
arm roughly said : " What's the matter with 
your hands and feet, that they are bundled up 

(31) 



32 Reminiscences of aji Old Timer. 

so." I wasn't in a humor to be ''shook around," 
so I replied " froze," and tried to " shake loose " 
from him, when he said " hold, pardy, don't cork 
yourself," and led me to a chair. Seating me he 
proceeded to undo the wraps from one of my 
feet ; taking a hasty look he, tenderly as he 
could in his condition, tied it up again asking, 
" is your other foot and hands like that ? " I 
replied " much the same, and now if your curios- 
ity is satisfied I will move on." "Not much, 
Mary Ann," said he, laying his hand heavily on 
my shoulder. 

He then went to the bar and asked the pro- 
prietor what his bill was ; being told he pulled out 
a purse of dust and had the amount weighed out. 
Then turning to the others in the room he said, 
" fellers did you see this boy's foot?" They all 
said " yes." He then said, " any man that would 

eat a meal or take a drink with a s of a b 

that has refused a meal to a boy in that fix ought 
to go straight to hell or poor diggings ! " 

All agreed, paid their bills and left the house. 
This man was a gambler and miner named Jack 
Moore ; nearly all the miners in those days were 
addicted to " sporting." 

Moore asked me where I was from, I replied 
" Yreka." " Are you one of the three that broke 
the trail over Scotts mountain?" "Yes, I'm the 
boy 'Buckeye,' " (the news of our trip had been 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 33 

received there and publislied). He said "bully 
boy, come along witb me and we'll find some 
grub, you bet your sweet life." Tired and worn 
out as I was I saw that I bad " fell upon my feet," 
as this man Moore was well dressed, and every 
body seemed to respect him. I followed him to 
the " Empire Hotel " kept by an old sea captain 
and ex-prize fighter named Sam Francis. Moore 
went into t'^e bar-room and said " Sam, can you 
give rae and 7ny boy board and room ? " Then, 
turning, he told those assembled my story and 
my reception at the " Kossuth House." 

Sam said, "bet yer life, Moore, best in the 
house, if you'll let me have half of Buckeye." 

This being settled to the satisfaction of Moore 
and Francis, I was taken to a room and fed. 
A doctor was called in, who dressed my feet, 
and hands, and looked to my welfare until my 
recovery. 

By these two big-hearted men, Moore and 
Francis, I was cared for and fed, and in every 
way made as much of, as though I had been a 
brother. 

I mention this as an incident of California 
life, and the warm-heartedness of those " rough 
and ready" pioneers. 

When I got well, I was furnished with a letter 
to a friend of Moore, on "Jackass Flat," where 
I went, and through his management got a good 



34 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

claim, out of which I had the good fortune to 
make in a few weeks $i,6oo for my share. After 
settling with Moore's friend, I returned to Shasta 
city and tried to settle with Moore and Francis, 
or pay them, but every time I offered to divide 
or pay them, they would take a drink, and before 
ten o'clock they couldn't have told gold-dust 
from Chile beans. Next morning, seeing they 
would not take anything from me, I started back 
to Yreka, and to hunt up the rest of our family, 
as I had plenty of money with which to do so ; 
but at Yreka I fell in with three young men, 
Dan Allen, Joe Draper and Jim Carwile, whom 
I had known in Iowa. 

The last-named party we called " Augur Jim," 
because he slept in a twisty with his head and 
heels together. He told me he had seen my 
father in the Willamette valley, and that the 
folks were all well, but father thought I was dead 
from starvation on the plains. 

After consulting with these friends, I con- 
cluded to stop at or near Yreka until I could 
get an answer to a letter from my uncle, Samuel 
Meek, of Ohio (which would take about a year), 
believing that my father would write to him, 
giving his address in Oregon, and he in turn 
would send it to me. 

So, in company with the three, I engaged in 
prospecting on Humbug creek, near Yreka, I 



Remmtscences of mi Old Timer. 35 

furnishing the funds, they the experience. But 
at the end of a few months, / had the experi- 
ence, and none of us the funds. 

At last I received a letter from Ohio, telling 
of father's family and their address, which made 
my mind easy on their account. 

About this time we were joined by a man 
named Scarbrough, and we finally struck very 
'' good pay " on Old Humbug Creek. Here we 
worked till the water gave out in the fall, when 
we went prospecting on a smaller stream over 
the mountain about ten miles away. Striking a 
small prospect, we named this " Young Hum- 
bug," and a flat near by we called " Bark House." 

We had to pack our provisions over the mount- 
ain on our backs, which called one or more of 
us over to Old Humbug every few days for sup- 
plies. We usually carried fifty or sixty pounds 
to the man. 

Our temporary camp we built facing a log, by 
driving two forked sticks into the ground some 
fifteen feet apart, laying a pole across them, 
shedding one side with fir poles and thatching 
over them with fir boughs. This made a good 
shelter. 

We had brought some fresh beef with us on 
our first trip, and, after forming our camp, hung it 
up in a tree near by. The next morning we 
found the tree all right minus the beef. After 



36 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

a short investigation, we found by footprints in 
the soft sand that the robbery was committed by 
a large grizzly. A few days later some of our 
company, going over to Humbug and returning 
with supplies, brought some beef with them and 
hung it in the same tree, but a little higher. 
Dan Allen and myself concluded to watch for 
the return of the bold robber ; and, after putting 
out our camp-fire, we took our rifles and revolvers, 
wrapped a blanket around us, and laid down by the 
log in front of the camp, " Augur Jim," Draper, 
and Scarbrough going to bed in the brush tent, 
saying to us that we had also better go to bed in 
the tent, as it was not at all likely that the griz- 
zly would return. We thought different, and 
our judgment proved correct. 

After arranging our mode of attack, in case he 
should return, we laid down to rest, Allen keep- 
ing watch. I being young, soon fell sound asleep. 
Some time in the night I was woke up by Allen 
shaking me and whispering in my ear : " Wake 
up Buckeye, he's here." After I succeeded in get- 
ting my eyes open I saw by the light of the 
bright moon the Grizzly upon his hind legs, 
rearing up against the tree trying to reach the 
beef. On taking a look at him, and as I had heard 
of their strength and ferocity when attacked, 
(he being an immense brute — looking the size of 
an ordinary smoke house,) I became somewhat 




j^ms 






iW%H 




Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 37 

" shakey " and felt my valor oozing out at my 
fingers' ends. I whispered to Allen "shall we 
shoot him ? " He said, " yes, of course." With 
fear and trembling, I leveled my gun across the 
log as Allen had already done. Upon his touch- 
ing my foot, we fired together. The bear was 
probably twenty feet from us. At the crack of 
the guns he gave an angry " snort." (This noise 
resembles the " snort " of a horse when at play he 
stops running, throws his head high in the air, 
and forces the breath from his lungs through his 
nostrils, so producing a sound similar to the 
angry snort of a grizzly.) As the sound of the 
guns and " snort " of bear died out, we heard a 
smashing behind us and back of our brush tent. 
My first thought was " another grizzly.*' Grasp- 
ing my revolver and whirling around I saw 
Jo Draper scrambling up a small white fir tree 
that stood just behind our tent. When I first 
saw him he was fully fifteen feet up the tree and 
making time that would not have disgraced an 
Ohio grey squirrel. As the grizzly had disap- 
peared, we all turned our attention to Draper, in 
the tree. Just imagine a man climbing a tree, 
in shirt and drawers, said tree a perfect thistle of 
small, sharp dead limbs, hard to describe to any 
one that has never seen one of our white firs. 
On Jo's again reaching the ground he somewhat 
resembled the map of Mexico, after that country 



38 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

had been interviewed by Generals Taylor and 
Scott. 

To say that we slept more that night would be 
preposterous, and only an old-timer can fully 
realize the comical remarks of first one and then 
another, accompanied by peals of laughter that 
made the surrounding mountains ring with our 
merriment at Draper's expense. One would say : 
"Jo where's the rest of your drawers," another 
"Jo I have an extra shirt, you can have it," and 
again " there is plenty of balsam on your tree 
for your scratches." Some of the party allowed 
that a rag-picker would make a " stake " if he 
only could get to Draper's fir tree. 

Next morning we followed the trail of the 
grizzly which was easily traced by tbe blood; we 
found him dead some miles below the camp. 

This was one of the largest grizzly bears I 
ever saw and would have weighed fully 1,500 
pounds. 

After working a short time on this creek, the 
prospect being poor, we returned to Old Humbug 
and "divided up," I selling out to Carwile, 
Draper and Allen. I then went in partnership 
with a young man by the name of Len Study, 
and commenced prospecting a high bar on the 
north fork, by running a drift or tunnel. 

We had been at work six weeks or two months 
without raising a color, and, as the bed-rock 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 39 

raised toward the mountain, we were of the opin- 
ion that there was no " pay " in the bar. As we had 
left our blankets at Round Town, Study said to 
me one morning, "If you will go and get our 
blankets to-day, I will run the drift a few feet 
further, and if the bed-rock keeps raising, we will 
move to some other place to prospect." So I 
started down the creek for the blankets, some 
ten miles distant. 

On my return about 4 o'clock in the afternoon 
as I came within hearing, I heard Study whist- 
ling. This being the first whistle I had heard 
from him for a month, it naturally excited my 
curiosity to know what had put him in such fine 
spirits. 

On reaching the cabin I found Study busy 
preparing supper, and asked him what had put 
him in such good humor? He showed me seven 
or eight dollars in specimens, which he said he 
had panned out of dirt taken from the drift that 
evening, and that he had no doubt but we had 
"struck it," and in the near future we would be 
rich and respectable. 

After much talk and speculation as to the 
probable richness of the strike, we wrapped our- 
selves in our blankets and were soon dreaming 
of rich diggings, big nuggets, home and relatives. 

In my dreams that night I had from my claim 
amassed an immense fortune, returned to my 



40 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

poor relatives, and by every way possible strove 
to impress upon their dull minds that I was a 
superior beings made of very different mud^ and 
that my blood was bluer, and even my hair had 
assumed a finer texture (since I had made a 
raise) than could be found among any of my 
brothers, sisters, cousins, second-cousins, or, in 
fact, among any of the tribes that had been hon- 
ored by an alliance with Buckeye^ the man of 
brains^ whose gigantic intellect had enabled him 
to carry blankets while his partner struck a 
bonanza. 

But, alas ! I awoke at the sound of Study's 
voice : " Buckeye ! beefsteak and coffee, smoking 
hot ! " 

After breakfast we repaired to the drift, and 
during the day run it back four or five feet by 
seven feet in width, running off the top dirt down 
to the cement or pay. This latter we cleaned to 
the bed-rock, which we found formed a deep 
crevice or channel, it being some three or four 
feet lower than the other portion of the rock. 
The bed-rock was soft slate, and easily dug up 
for six or eight inches in depth. 

After we had cleaned as deep as we thought 
necessary, I took a pan of the soft, shell rock, 
and panned it out. Getting several dollars, we 
dug it deeper, and until we were satisfied there 
was no more gold. 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 41 

We dumped the dirt over a steep bank into 
the bed of the creek, where we had our long torn 
and rocker set. (A long tom was used for washing 
the dirt, as was a rocker ; the former was made 
the same as sluices — that is, three planks nailed 
together, forming a trough two inches wider at 
one end than the other ; the last box bulged at 
the lower end to two or three times its former 
width, and was sloped similar to a sled-runner ; 
the last four feet were bottomed with sheet-iron, 
punched thickly with half-inch holes. Under 
this was placed what was called a " riffle-box," 
the same width of the one above, and six or 
eight feet long. Across its bottom was fastened 
slats that would form riffles when the box was 
placed at the proper angle. These riffles would 
catch and retain all heavy substances, such as 
gold, black sand, etc., while the lighter sand and 
pebbles would pass over and into the tail-race. 

This is as near as I can describe a primitive 
"long tom," used in early mining days. 

The sluice-box soon took its place, as it was 
found that the punched iron and riffle-box were 
superfluous, and only adding labor, as riffles 
placed in the sluices answered every purpose, 
and would save more gold, fine and coarse^ and 
required less labor to handle them. 



42 Rejnmiscences of an Old Thner. 

But to our clean-up for the day, it did not 
require more than an hour to wash the dirt drifted 
that day. 

That evening, upon our panning out the riffle- 
box, and putting it with nuggets picked up while 
cleaning the bed-rock, and out of the sluices, 
upon weighing all, we found we had taken out 
of the drift that day over $900. The largest 
nugget found weighed $279. This was the largest 
nugget and out of the richest pocket ever found 
on the bar. 

That night Study's whistle rang out more 
joyous than ever. We were soon in our blankets, 
and again dreaming of happy homes, pretty girls 
and sweet babies. The early dawn of the next 
morning found us at work in our drift. We 
soon found that this crevice (an old channel) 
was, where we struck it, not more than five feet 
wide. As soon as we were assured of this fact, 
we turned our drift at right angles up the bar. 
For a week or so we run this drift, trying to 
follow the channel, taking out from two to twelve 
ounces per day. (This dust was worth $19 to 
$20 per ounce, but we always reckoned it at 
$16 per ounce in those days). 

As we proceeded up the bar, the channel or 
" pay-streak " widened out, and paid less to the 
foot. Within two weeks we got clear off the 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 43 

*' pay," and were some weeks in finding it again. 
Having found it, we continued on good " pay," 
and after some time we commenced "breasting" 
and " timbering." We had breasted out a space 
about twenty by thirty feet, I drifting and Study 
wheeling. (He had to run his wheel-barrow 
down the drift some fifty feet, then turn at a 
right angle, and go to the creek-bank or front 
edge of the bar) . 

One day, while I was working in the back 
part of the drift, and just after Study had passed 
out, the caps on the timbers gave way, and as the 
dirt above was loose and full of large boulders, it 
soon caved in, bringing the grass-roots from 
thirty feet above. At the first crack of the 
timbers, I sprang back to the furthest part of my 
drift, knowing I could not run out, as it was 
caving between me and the outlet or mouth of 
the drift. To sit down with my back to the solid 
bank, and put out my candle, so as not to con- 
sume the fresh air, was my first thought. But 
I soon had fresh air enough, for as the dirt and 
rock came tumbling all around me from above, 
I could soon gaze up and out at the mountains 
above ; but, alas ! I was covered to my waist 
with dirt and rock, which held me like a vice • 
a large rock had fallen on to the dirt above and 
slid down the slope made by the cave, till it 



44 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

finally rested against my breast. Study, hearing 
tHe noise made by the breaking timbers, ran 
into the main drift and up to where it was 
caving, then seeing that he could not get to me, 
he ran out again, and, hearing my shouts for 
help, which sounded from above him, he was 
soon gazing down upon me from the top of the 
bar, while I sat wedged in by dirt and rock. 
Seeing that he could not do anything alone in 
time to save my life, he ran swiftly down to the 
next claim and soon returned with a dozen hardy 
miners, who made a hasty survey of my situa- 
tion, then cut some logs and pushed them down 
at the edge or side of the sloping dirt. Two of 
'*.hem cautiously slid dov/n and got one of these 
short logs across in front of me, with one end 
resting against either of the solid banks, thus 
forming a breastwork in front of me, to prevent* 
the dirt from sliding down and covering me com- 
pletely up. Then more men came down, and, 
working the rocks away from my breast, com- 
menced sinking logs in front of me. They 
added logs and dug for some hours before they 
succeeded in releasing me from my perilous 
position. 

I had often heard the expression, " a mighty 
tight squeeze," but I never realized its full force 
before that day. I had received several bruises, 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 45 

from whicli I did not recover sufficiently to 
resume work for some time ; and for years after- 
ward I suffered more or less from these bruises. 
The boys would probably have allowed me to 
remain buried, but being of a religious turn of 
mind, they concluded it would be best to save 
me till a minister could be found, to say a few 
" appropriate words " to wring the hearts of my 
relatives and friends, which hearts would be 
already broken and bleeding. 



CHAPTER IV. 

Miners' Amusements — A Humbug Ditty — Dusky Damsels 
Sheltered ; or, " Bread Cast Upon the Waters ' ' — Suspi- 
cious Wearing Apparel — Reception of a Real Live 
Woman — Celebrating the Fourth of July — The Lawyer 
and the '■'Sapling'" — "Stumped" while on Guard — 
The First Step Toward " Civilization "—The "Miner's 
Lament " — Captured by Indians — The ' ' Waters Return 
the Bread" — "Poor Man's Bar" — Within a Foot of 
a Fortune. 

HUMBUG SOCIETY was exclusive— exclu- 
sively male. There was not a white woman 
or child on the creek at the time of which I am 
writing, nor had there been. 

We used to amuse ourselves by assembling in 
some one of the little towns, to-wit : The Forks, 
Round Town, Howlets, Free Town or Jacksons, 
and listening to speeches — we had some well 
educated young lawyers among us — also by sing- 
ing, etc., sometimes making up original songs 
on local and other topics. 

(46) 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 47 

Tlie following are some verses wHcli were 
sung at one of our meetings. 

"AN ODE TO HUMBUG." 

' ' Ye miners attend, I will sing you a song, 
My brothers, my fellows, bold, dauntless and strong ! 
Wbo develop gold's fountains, and send it in streams 
Through the world, that all mankind may bask in its beams. 
Others boast about "freedom, " j^et, who is so free. 
So full of wild notions, so wandering as we ? 
For we work and we rest, and we sit at our ease, 
We rise up and lie down — do just as we please. 

" All the banks of the city with "papers " abound, 
Their ' ' checks ' ' may be forged, or their ' ' issues ' ' unsound ; 
We have banks, but the cashiers will not run away, 
Leaving drafts all unpaid, and "the devil to pay" — 
For our steel picks are "checks, " and the " Oro " we pull. 
And our "long toms " and " rockers " receipt them in full. 
Mother Earth is our bed, with her carpets of green. 
Our pillow some rock, which the rain has washed clean. 

"We have rifles, revolvers, no locks, bolts or bars. 
For our coverings the sky with her beautiful stars. 
Should the wild red man's arrow whizz near us in sleep,. 
We start all at once, though our slumbers be deep ; 
We muster, we rally ! and soon make him feel 
That the arms of a white man are "thunder and steel." 
So, early next morning we watch the sun rise — 
Come, get up, my brave fellows ! our path we despise. 

"We climb the bold rocks, where your railroad 's a fool, — 
It is not worth the hoof of my sure-footed mule. — 
Even Humbug — a name that all classes despised — 
Has now altered its meaning, and highly is prized. 
Ask the girls of Yreka, who will say half their joys, 
Yes, and more, is afforded by bold Humbug boys. 



48 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

•'Now, exult, my brave fellows ! the time 's drawing near, 
When our arms will encircle our bright-blushing "dears ;" 
We '11 kiss them, protect them from danger and cold. 
And fill up their aprons with oceans of gold. 
Oh, what do we toil for, if it is not for this — 
A bright home, a sweet smile, a hug and a kiss ? 
It 's a true miner's motto — so, come, brothers, come ! 
The harder we dig, we '11 the sooner get home." 

These were offered by ' ' Buckeye. ' ' 

The winter of 1853 closed in on us, and the 
snow fell deep in those mountains. 

Study and I were "drifting" under a high bar 
when, returning to our cabin one night, we found 
sitting in front of our door /wo Indian girls. 
(The snow was then five or six feet deep on the 
creek, and much deeper on the mountains.) 
These girls were aged about ten and fifteen years 
respectively, as well as we could judge. But 
there being no Indians nearer than Klamath, 
some thirty miles away, and as neither Study 
nor myself could understand their language, we 
were at a loss to know what they wanted, or 
where they came from. Finally, after consider- 
able signmaking, we learned that they were 
starving and nearly perishing with the cold, 
and that they wanted to stop with us for the 
night. We took them in, warmed and fed them, 
and gave them blankets to sleep in. They had 
staid with us three or four days, when one night 
while we were cooking supper, six or eight 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 49 

Indians appeared at our door, looking somewliat 
sullen. The youngest girl, upon hearing them 
speak, went to the head man and talked to him 
in a rapid manner. At last the Indians looked 
pleased, shook hands with Study and I, and 
signified a wish to stay over night with us, which 
we allowed them to do. 

I found that one of them was a young chief 
named "William," and that he could talk a little 
English. By words and signs I learned that 
these girls had been sent out in company with 
some older squaws for some deer that the 
Indians had killed, and that these two, getting 
separated from the other squaws, became lost, 
and in wandering about, had crossed the divide, 
and come down Humbug to our cabin. 

Some time during the next spring, as some of 
the miners were passing down the creek, they 
discovered wearing apparel hanging on the 
bushes near a cabin, that indicated the presejtce 
of a woman and child. The news spread rapidly 
from the head to the mouth of the creek, and 
the next Sunday there appeared before that 
cabin no less than a hundred miners, dressed in 
their gorgeous woolen shirts and patched pants. 
(It was not uncommon in those days to see an 
old miner passing through our towns with a pick, 
shovel and pan on his back, and as you gazed at 
his retreating form, you would read, *' Albany 



5© Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

Mills Superfijie., 50 Ibs.^'' in large letters, on tlie 
patch on the seat of his pants.) These miners 
had selected a spokesman for the occasion in the 
person of " Old Uncle Gilbert." The boys sur- 
rounded the cabin, and "Uncle Gilbert," mount- 
ing a convenient stump, loudly hailed the inmates 
of the cabin. A gentleman — all miners were 
gentlemeii in those days — making his appearance, 
" Uncle Gil" thus addressed him : 

"Honored Sir. — Do not for a moment be 
alarmed at this demonstration, for I assure you 
these gentlemen are quiet, peaceable miners, 
who were oiice partially civilized. Many of us 
have been in the mines one, two or three years, 
without having had the pleasure of gazing upon 
a woman or a child. 

" A day or two ago, in passing here, some of 
us noticed, hanging upon those bushes, garments, 
that denoted the presence of a woman and child 
— that is to say, unless we have forgotten the 
garments worn in our childhood, and those of 
our mothers and sisters. Upon being informed 
of the suspicions of the brothers regarding this 
cabin and its inmates, we at once called a mass- 
meeting, and resolved to proceed as a committee 
of the whole, to investigate, being reassured by 
the wisest of us, that our mothers were women ^ 
and that, singular as it may appear to you, we 
were once children. 



Remmzscences of an Old Timer. 51 

" Now, my dear sir, allow me in behalf of my 
fellow-miners and myself, to tender to you and 
yours a hearty welcome to Humbug and the 
surrounding camps. 

" Be assured that we congratulate ourselves 
on this most welcome addition to our community, 
believing it will prove a benefit to each of us, 
inasmuch as it will remind us of home and 
mother. 

^' My dear sir, you can be assured that your 
wife and child will be sacred objects to us, and 
while they cast their lots among us rough and 
somewhat uncouth miners, will be as safe from 
insult or danger as they would be within the 
limits of the capital of our country, surrounded 
by an army of police. 

" Again, we bid you welcome to Humbug, and 
may God bless you, your wife and child." 

At the close of this address, the gentleman 
brought to the door a most beautiful woman and 
child and responded to " Uncle Gil's " remarks 
in a most happy manner. 

Then went up such a ringing shout as was 
never before heard in those rough and craggy 
mountains, and we imagined that old " Mount 
Craggy " gave back a joyous smile as it certainly 
never bore a more imposing appearance than it 
assumed as it towered above us, on this, the day 



52 Remmiscences of an Old Timer. 

of tHe welcome of the first white woman and child 
to old Humbug. 

On one of my visits to Yreka I was prevailed 
upon by an acquaintance to make a trip or two 
with H. P. French's Saddle-express train. On 
our return one trip we camped on a bottom, well 
up on the Sacramento river. We had several 
passengers, and some express matter. The " Dig- 
ger " (or Pitt river) Indians would steal horses 
and mules, run them into the hills and kill 
and eat them, and frequently they would attack 
small parties on the trails. So it was our cus- 
tom, when traveling through this country, to 
keep a guard with our stock at night. 

This night French watched until one or two 
o'clock, when he woke me up ; we had tied our 
mules to some trees that stood around our camp 
and fringed a small bottom that M^as covered with 
rye-grass which was nearly the height of a man. 

Taking a shotgun, I sleepily went to a tree 
and took my stand to watch for the rest of the 
night. The moon was shining brightly, and the 
wind came in spurts. 

Soon after taking my stand I glanced over the 
bottom, when I thought I saw a " Digger'''' raise 
his head^ but a short distance from me, and then 
sink down. This woke me up thoroughly, and 
I watched closely ; soon again he raised and, as 
it appeared to me, took a hasty look and sank 



Remtmscences of an Old Timer. 53 

down again. This was kept up at short inter- 
vals till I fancied I could see his long black hair 
when he raised. I watched this performance till 
I was sure that I could see his features. At last 
I determined to put a stop to his coming into 
camp — as he seemed to be coming nearer every 
time he raised up — so raising my gun, on his 
again making his appearance, I let drive a barrel 
of buck-shot at hiin. All was clear to me before 
the echo died out. I, in my sleepy condition, 
had seen a black stump in the grass, which was 
nearly as high as the grass, and at each spurt 
the wind blew the grass down, and thus exposed 
the top of the stump. When the wind died 
down the grass would straighten up again and 
hide the stump from sight; this being repeated 
every few minutes, I had gazed at it till my im- 
agination had led me to shoot at it. 

When French and some of our passengers 
rushed up I was sitting by the tree, laughing 
heartily at my scare. They asked what was the 
matter, and I told them I had shot a Digger! 
They asked where ? I said " there," (pointing to 
the stump.) Just then the wind blew the grass 
down, and as the grass straightened up in a mo- 
ment, hiding the stump, French jerked out his 
pistol as he said " What are you laughing at you 
fool ? It is a Digger ; " and he was about to fire 
when I said, " Hold on French ! I have killed 



54 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

that stump myself." But it was some time be- 
fore any of them would believe it was only a 
stump, it appeared so natural. Finally we went 
out to it, and found that I had peppered it pretty 
well with buck-shot. 

I had failed to make a good Digger, but suc- 
ceeded in being relieved from guard duty, as one 
of the passengers took my post, laughingly say- 
ing he thought he could kill as many stumps as 
I had. I didn't demur, as I much preferred my 
blankets to standing by a tree, watching for 
Diggers, when I was liable to get an arrow, for 
my reward, as many a more watchful man had 
while standing guard on these trails. 

We had with us a young man by the name of 
Crosbie, a finely educated lawyer. 

I mention him, as his name will appear later 
in these reminiscences, and to more fully portray 
early mining life in California and the kind of 
material the early pioneers and miners were com- 
posed of. 

The Fourth of July coming around many of us 
assembled at "Round Town." After toasting 
each other we induced Watson, (the hotel man) 
to give us a supper worthy of the occasion, then 
selected Crosbie to deliver an oration. 

Crosbie had come to California some two years 
before, he had tried the lumber business at Hum- 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 55 

boldt bay, and related his lumbering experience 
as follows: 

" I bought an ax on credit, and repairing to 
the woods tackled an immense redwood tree, hav- 
ing seen how others did it. I scaffold up above 
the spurs, mounted the scaffold, and, full of en- 
thusiasm, fell to work dealing giant blows. Find- 
ing after some time that I had not yet penetrated 
through the bark, I became desperate and putting 
forth more strength down came the scaffold and 
the mighty blow aimed at the stubborn bark fell 
upon my foot. The noise of my fall brought to 
my assistance a man who kindly bound up my 
wound, and told me he had been chopping on the 
other side of the same tree for some days, and 
certainly had a prior right. This caused me to 
reflect, and after mature thought I concluded that 
a man who had no more judgment than to com- 
mence chopping on a tree without first going 
around it and ascertaining whether or no there 
was a prior claimant, would not prove a success 
as a lumber man, and as I had not paid for the 
ax, and didn't possess the dust with which to per- 
form that honorable duty I would seek other 
diggings. So I tenderly laid the ax at the foot 
of the tree, and after assuring my newly-made 
acquaintance, that inasmuch as he had rendered 
me so great a favor, I would relinquish my claim 
in and to the premises. I got in with a pack 



56 Renimisce7ices of an Old Timer. 

train, and made my wa}^ to Yreka, and finally to 
Hnmbug. Here I have tried mining but find it 
up-hill work, fi^r I wasn't cut out fi^r a miner." 

So, on this morning of the Fourth, we fixed 
Crosbie up vdth a " bran new " woolen shirt, tied 
a big, red handkerchief around his neck, put 
him on an extemporized platform, and I will say 
that I never heard a finer effort in this line than 
he made on this occasion. One thing is sure, 
from that date commenced his success as an 
attorney. 

As before, we miners had settled all of our 
dif&culties by arbitration, pistol, or knife, this 
speech of his aroused our ambition, and we re- 
solved to take a step in the way of civilization. 
So, a day or two afterward, we called a meeting, 
elected a Justice of the Peace, and proceeded to 
persecute each other in a more civilized ma7i7ier. 
The result was, more trouble, more shooting, 
and less dust in our purses. 

The justice was affable., and always ready to 
receive and welcome^^ visitors^'' x^-nAsxiVi^ his de- 
cision in the most approved style, to wit : against 
the miner who had the longest purse. From this 
date commenced the "advance of civilization " on 
Old Humbug. But Crosbie was full of paying 
business, and he and his friends were happy. 
This inspired our "local bard " to perpetrate the 
following 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 57 

"MINER'S LAMENT. 



"Air — 'Jeanette and Jeanot." 

" Oh, I'm going far away from my creditors just now, 

And I have not got the dust to pay — they 're kicking up a row ; 

Ther's no chance for speculation, and these mines ain't worth 

a dam, 
And I 'm none of those unlucky ' coves ' that work for Uncle 

Sam. 

" There's Jack Taylor swearing vengeance — oh, he says he'll 

give me ' fits,' 
And the Sheriflf, he is after me with his pockets full of writs ; 
And every time I turn I am sure to get a ' dun, ' 
So the best thing I think I can do is for to ' cut and run, ' 

" When I came into these mines for to help to turn the stream, 
I got credit on the strength of that glorious golden dream ; 
But when we got it done, oh, it proved to be a sham. 
And we who dammed the river by our creditors were damned. 

•'There's that durned unlucky fellow that wrote home about 

the gold. 
Oh, he'd ought to be in the place the Bible says ain't cold; 
For he wrote about the specimens and lumps of gold so big, 
But he never said a word about how hard we had to dig. 

' ' Now I 'm going far away, and I don 't know where to go ; 
'Twon't do for me to go home again ; they'd laugh at me, I 

know ; 
For when I came away — oh ! I said I'd ' make my pile,' 
But if they could only see me now — should rather think 

they'd smile." 

More about Crosbie hereafter. 

Later in the season Study and myself con- 
cluded to go to " Scott's bar," on Scott's river, 
on a prospecting tour, as the water had given 



58 Remmzscences of an Old Timer. 

out on our claims ; so we "laid over" our claims 
till winter, and started. 

We, with three other miners, commenced to sink 
a shaft on what was called "Poor Man's bar," some 
two miles below Scott's bar. This "Poor Man's 
bar" had been prospected to some extent before, 
but as it was very deep and full of large boulders, 
it was very costly work to sink a shaft there, and 
all who had tried it had failed, which was why it 
was called " Poor Man's bar," The five of us 
sunk a shaft sixteen feet square and about twenty 
feet deep, to the bed-rock, having to blast many 
boulders in doing so. We were about four weeks 
at it, and when we reached bed-rock we found 
that the rock pitched or sloped to the river. 
We got some eight or ten dollars in small speci- 
mens out of a crevice, and, as the rainy season 
was coming on, and Study and I had very good, 
paying ground, we concluded to return to Hum- 
bug, which we did, as will appear further on. 

We left this bar, and, as we afterward learned, 
the other three men, in company with another 
man, sunk another shaft at the edge of the one 
we had sunk, and running twenty feet toward 
the river. Reaching bed-rock, they cleaned up 
about $20,000 out of a shaft 16x20 feet, and then 
sold their claim for a large sum of money to 
some capitalists, who subsequently flumed the 
river and took out an immense amount of money. 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 59 

This " Poor Man's bar " proved to be one of 
tbe ricliest bars in Nortbem California, and fur- 
nisbed further evidence of the truth of the old 
adage, " a fool for luck," etc. 

At least, I am poor, and blessed with babies^ 
while the men we left went home to the States, 
full of wealth, and blessing the day they stuck 
to "Poor Man's bar" on Scott's river. 

Study and I on hearing how near we had been 
to a large fortune, would, while sitting in our 
lonely log cabin during the evenings, talk of our 
luck and indulge in a few remarks in regard to 
luck-fools^ etc. 

After a few weeks on " Scott's bar " we con- 
cluded to prospect down Scott's river, and up 
Klamath to the mouth of Humbug, and on home. 

The distance proved farther than we had con- 
templated, and as we carried our " outfits," 
consisting of blankets, pick, pan, shovel and 
"grub," on our backs, our provisions got low, and 
we were pushing on up the Klamath river, when 
one evening, as we were approaching the Hum- 
bug trails, we were suddenly surrounded by 
Indians^ who didn't appear to be at all friendly 
disposed. They "escorted" us to their camp 
where a rabble surrounded us and gave every 
sign of hostility. We had only our "navy" re- 
volvers with us, which would have availed us but 
little in case of the attack we were satisfied they 



6o Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

were meditating ; at this moment a young girl 
came forward and taking a close look at us called 
to another and older one, she in turn scanned our 
faces closely, talking rapidly to the surrounding 
Indians. A painted and ugly-looking Indian 
came forward and taking a good look at us, asked 
in broken English and Chenook if we knew the 
two squaws. We now recognized them as being 
the two we had fed during the snow storm of the 
past winter, and they had already recognized us. 
The Indian said, "good," then left us for a short 
time, returning with his face clear of paint he 
said we need fear no danger, as the Indians would 
not molest us. He conducted us to his lodge and 
gave us plenty of such food as he had, (they 
baked their bread in the hot embers and no bet- 
ter or sweeter bread can be baked by any other 
mode.) 

We stayed all night and had breakfast with 
this Indian, (who proved to be Chief William) 
and told him if he would let us across the river 
in his canoe, we would find our way over the 
mountain to Humbug. But he persisted in 
escorting us with eight or ten of his braves across 
the river and to the summit of the mountain, 
within five or six miles of Humbug City. He 
then said, "go quick," "heep bad Injun," " plenty 
kill 'em white man," "no stop, go!" We had 
been satisfied from the first that there was some- 



Reminiscences ofajt Old Timer. 61 

thing wrong and that we were in eminent danger, 
but had not supposed that "William's" tribe had 
as yet gone on the war path. However, upon 
being told to go, we " stood not on the order of 
going " but went at once after thanking him, for 
he refus:d to take pay. 



CHAPTER V. 

The Rogue River Indian War of 1853 — Humbug and Yreka 
Boys to the Front — A Plucky " Siwash " — Well Heeled — 
Our First Scouting Party Surprised — Seven Killed, Seven 
Wounded, one Scared to Death — Five of Us Stand Off 
Two Tribes of Hostiles — A Scared Boy Wins Laurels 
Unwittingly — A Scared Man Sings While Fighting — 
The Fame (us) Song — Indian Atrocities and Tactics — A 
Disorderly "Git Thar' Quick "—The Wounded Man's 
Lament — Improvised Bandages — Burjdng the Dead — 
General Joseph Lane in Command — ' ' Jerked Beef ' ' — 
Volunteers' Sports — A Scouting Duet — A Foot-race for 
"Glory and the Brush " is Declared a " Draw ' ' — Encour- 
aging Pursuit — Fluding Capture — A Brave and Thought- 
ful Comrade. 

ON our arrival at Humbug, we found the 
miners " up in arms," and organizing a 
company of volunteers to go to Jacksonville, in 
tlie Rogue River Valley, Oregon, seventy-five 
miles north, a courier having brought in word 
that the Rogue River, Shasta and Klamath 
Indians had " broke out," and were killing, pil- 
laging, and burning everything before them ; 

(62) 



Re?mniscences of an Old Timer. 63 

and it was believed that the Indians who had 
just escorted us had killed eight or ten men at 
the mouth of Humbug a few days before. 

We afterward learned that William's band of 
Klamaths joined "Old Sam's" and "John's" 
band of Rogue River Indians, and fought with 
them throughout the "Rogue River war" of 

1853. 

I joined Captain Rhode's company of "Hum- 
bug boys," as also did John Scarbrough, one of 
my former partners ; and we proceeded to Jack- 
sonville, as did Captain Goodall's company of 
" Yreka boys " and seven or eight soldiers from 
Fort Jones, under Colonel Aldrich (if my mem- 
ory don't fail me as regards the name) . Reach- 
ing Jacksonville without adventure, we went into 
camp near Table Rock on Rogue River. 

From here, twenty-one men, including Crosbie 
and myself, John Melvin (Greasy John), "Griz- 
zly," and others, whose names I have forgotten, 
were sent out as scouts. We were each armed 
with a "muzzle-loading" rifle, a brace of Colt's 
" navy " revolvers, and a knife — except Crosbie, 
who had a patent gun with two cylinders, which 
he could fire sixteen times without reloading. 
We crossed the mountain to Bvans Creek, twenty 
miles distant, where we " struck the trails " of 
Indians. 



64 Remi7iisce7ices of an Old Tirner. 

We followed these trails up the creek some 
miles, until we were satisfied that the Indians 
had very recently passed up into the mountains. 

We knew their fighting qualities, Old John's 
and Sam's bands of " Rogue rivers " being said 
to be the bravest Indians and the most stubborn 
fighters in the northwest. That the reader may 
form some idea of their bravery, I will here re- 
late that when one of these renowned chiefs 
was being taken to the military prison at Alca- 
traz, near San Francisco, on an ocean steamer, 
he actually captured the vessel, having no other 
weapon than a capstan bar ; and held the deck 
for some time before he was overpowered, then 
as he lay on the deck in irons, he said, grating 
his teeth, that if he had had one of his ^varriors 
to assist him, he would have kept the "hy-as 
kanim" (big canoe). Then many of the brave (?) 
white men on board wanted to hang him, but 
the captain told them that an Indian who could 
do what that one had was too brave a man to 
suffer such an ignominious death. This is told 
as a fact, and I have no doubt of its truthfulness. 

But to my story : we returned down the creek 
a few miles and being hungry made a stop, to 
let our horses graze awhile, and to partake of 
such provisions as we had with us. 

Some of us picketed our horses and others 
" hobbled" theirs on the creek bottom, which was 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 65 

covered with luxuriant grass. We then fell to 
work i}i our own interest.^ and after satisfying 
our appetites, stretched ourselves on the grass 
under a few pine trees that grew in the bend of 
the creek, to rest, while our horses fed. The 
bottom here was three or four hundred yards 
wide and the creek running through it was 
fringed on each side with willows and other 
brush. From, the willows to the foot of the 
hills, or mountain spurs, was level prairie. The 
foot-hills were studded with sugar and " bull 
pine " trees, and were clear of underbrush. The 
bend in the creek where we rested was in some- 
thing the shape of a horseshoe, and our shade 
trees stood near the centre of this bend. 

While resting here, some lying down, others 
sitting up talking, our horses quietly grazing, 
none of us suspecting any danger, or that there 
was an Indian within miles of us, we were sud- 
denly saluted with a volley., and the unearthly 
yells of hundreds of Indians from the bushes 
which almost surrounded us. Our horses stam- 
peded, and scattered excepting one that was 
being held by one of the boys. This he immedi- 
ately mounted, and " struck out," for our camp 
on Rogue river. The first glance showed us that 
we must retreat to the foot-hills; this we did as 
fast as we could, assisting our wounded along, 
leaving our dead as they lay. 



66 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

Reaching the timber, we found that seven of 
our comrades had been killed and that seven 
more were so badly wounded that they could not 
stand up after we got them there. 

The one on the horse we believed — and it was 
soon proved — had escaped and gone after the 
rest of the company. Our wounded had retained 
their arms and ammunition. 

The Indians first proceeded to mutilate our 
dead after their most inhuman fashion, cutting, 
stabbing and gashing, all the while yelling in 
the most fiendish manner that the mind of man 
could conceive. Then, after securing our animals, 
they swung around on to the mountain above us, 
so as to work down on us from tree to tree. A 
few well-directed shots had convinced them that 
it would not be a healthy undertaking to follow 
us across the bottom. These movements on 
their part gave us sufficient time to select our 
fighting-ground. This we made on the first 
high ground out of gunshot of the bushes along 
the creek. As good fortune would have it, a log 
lay across the narrow ridge. Behind this log we 
laid our wounded, among whom was " Greasy 
John," severely wounded in the hip. " Grizzly " 
had fallen and was one of the dead ; Crosbie fell 
by the log with the wounded, being, as I supposed 
at the time, more dangerously wounded than any 
of the others. 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. bj 

The Indians gave us but a short time to pre- 
pare for them. We all realized upon reaching 
the friendly trees that we must stop here and 
fight it out, or leave our wounded comrades to 
the tender mercies of these inhuman fiends, and 
even then, in all likelihood, be overtaken and 
killed in detail ourselves. 

Our only thought was to stand by our com- 
rades, and fight for them and ourselves to the 
bitter end. 

Those that were able to fight could command 
two rifles and four revolvers each, as we could 
use those of our wounded as well as our own. 
Some of our wounded comrades could load our 
revolvers when emptied, as a ball that fitted one, 
would fit all. 

Our respite was short. The Indians, armed with 
guns, bows and arrows, — few of them had revol- 
vers at the time — soon came down on us, jumping 
from tree to tree for cover, all the time firing 
and making the mountains re-echo their blood- 
curdling war-whoop. They seemed determined to 
" finish us up " there and then, at all hazards. 
They charged down to within a few yards of our 
log and trees, but here they met such a wither- 
ing fire from our Colt's revolvers, that those who 
were able were only too anxious to retreat to a 
more respectful distance, and for awhile con- 
tented themselves with firing on us from trees 



68 Reminiscences of a7i Old Timer. 

behind which they had taken cover. On this 
first charge there were but five of us on our 
feet — Crosbie lying by the wounded as dead. 
"Greasy John" and one or two others would 
from time to time raise on their elbows or to 
a sitting position, and over their log fire a few 
well-aimed shots, then sink back faint and 
exhausted, soon revive, reload, struggle to a 
position and blaze away until their strength 
failed. This they repeated during the entire 
fight. The wounded would load our revolvers 
and pitch them to us as fast as we emptied them, 
when we were being pressed by these charges. 

About this time Crosbie raised to his feet, hav- 
ing got over his " scare " (as he afterwards ac- 
knowledged for he had lain unhurt all the time) . 
There he stood, his face flushed, his eyes flashing 
with daring and his repeating rifle firmly grasped, 
and as his glance took in the position of the five 
who were stationed around the wounded, under 
such cover as was most convenient, and our 
poor and wounded comrades, who in different 
positions were either engaged in reloading pis- 
tols, or helping one another dress their wounds, 
using pieces of torn shirts or drawers for band- 
ages; then at the few "good Indians," that had 
fallen so near our log that their friends dare 
not attempt to remove them, all this time stand- 
ing in open view amid the firing, and while 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 69 

friendly voices were calling to him to "take 
cover," his voice rang out clear as a bell and above 
all other sounds, as he started up the comical 
song, "Jordan is a hard road to travel." In all 
my life, I have heard but few voices that could 
equal his for power and sweetness, and as he 
leisurely walked to a tree he sang: 

" I looked to the east, and I looked to the west, 
And I saw a chariot coming 
With four bay horses running their best, 
To tote you to the other side of Jordan.' ' 

Then his gun sprang to his shoulder, there was 
a flash, a report, and an Indian's " heel flew up." 

Again his joyous voice rang out clear and 
sweet : 

" Haul off your jacket, 
Roll up your sleeves. 
For Jordan is a hard road to travel I believe ;" 

to the accompaniment of cracking rifles and 
pistols, our defiant shouts, and the hellish yells 
of the infuriated Indians; then flash, bang' — an- 
other Indian called for. Then, as 

" Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, 
Viewing the beauties of nater ' ' — 

Bang ! — 

• ' The devil stuck his head 

Through a gooseberry bush, 
And I hit 'im a whack with a tater." 



7© Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

And again tlie trusty rifle would speak its warn- 
ing, notifying the Indians that we had been rein- 
forced by a giant. 

To try to describe this man, as he jumped from 
tree to tree, firing, singing, and by turns calling 
to us to fire " slow and sure," that our friend 
would soon come back with the rest of the com- 
pany, would be a difi&cult undertaking. " Save 
your bullets, boys," he would say, "till you have 
a dead thing, then sling 'em in." 

As the Indians would at intervals attempt, in 
various ways, to get to us under cover, Crosbie's 
voice would again ring out : " Haul off your 
jacket," etc. This song he continued to sing, 
from time to time, for hours, to the strange 
accompaniments described. The " chords were 
jarring^'' but they beat none at all. 

Some time after he had come up to the fight- 
ing point, and while resting a moment, one of 
the fingers of his left hand was shot clean off at 
the second joint. Coming to the tree that I 
stood behind, he pulled the handkerchief from 
his neck and one from his pocket, and said, as 
he looked at the blood spurting from the artery, 
" Buckeye, tie that up," and again commenced 
his song, "Jordan is a hard road to travel." 

Suffice it to say, that for some four or five 
long, weary hours (long they certainly were to 
us six surrounded men), we struggled to save 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 71 

ourselves and wounded comrades from these in- 
human fiends. It would require a more able pen 
than an old-timer's to portray the scene. At 
every respite we would gaze at our wounded, 
then across the flat at the dead, and wonder how 
much longer we could hold out ; then, at the 
warning of Crosbie or some other watchful com- 
rade, we would turn to repulse another attack. 
" Greasy John " would load a revolver, then grit 
his teeth and say : "I wouldn't care a d — n if 
they hadn't shot me " (where it will make riding 
uncomfortable) . 

At last we heard a cheering far above the In- 
dians on the mountain, which assured us that the 
long looked for help was at hand. The ground 
was not to the liking of the Indians for a general 
fight. So they at once decamped being warned 
by the shouts of our advancing friends or by their 
own lookouts. In a few moments there came 
dashing among us some dozen or so old miners 
who had rode their horses till they fell dead or 
gave out in climbing the mountain, then out- 
stripping the rest on foot, rushed over and down 
the mountain, the sweat streaming from every 
pore. In all my life I never saw a more com- 
pletely given out lot of men than these, the first 
to reach us, were on their arrival. They cried, 
hugged, and patted us on the back by turns. But 



72 ReTniniscences of an Old Timer. 

few words were said until tlie rest of the com- 
mand arrived. Then after examining the ground 
fought over, looking at our dead and caring as 
best we could for the wounded, came questions 
from all quarters regarding the fight. KS\ wished 
to know how the boy "Buckeye" stood fire. I 
was accorded the praise of having saved the party 
in the first and most desperate charge. The 
others saying that I stood uncovered, shooting 
right and left, apparently as cool as though I was 
shooting at pigeons. But all agreed that it was 
Crosbie's cool fighting, cheering words, and above 
all his joyous song during all the other desperate 
charges, that saved the devoted few from despair 
and final destruction. 

I mention these facts to show how a scare will 
act on different persons. 

Crosbie always said, that when we retreated 
across the flat to the timber and fell by 
the log, he was frightejied to death .^ and only 
recovered after the first charge was repulsed, 
while all agreed that I had fought like a lion at 
bay, and probably saved the outfit at first. But 
I myself was proudly conscious (?) that if I 
fought at all, it was from iiistiiict., and as a scared 
boy — for I certainly was as badly, and probably 
worse sca7'-ed than Crosbie — and had no recol- 
lection of helping " Greasy John" across the flat, 
as they all said I did, nor anything else during 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. yi^ 

the first charge, or until Crosbie raised and com- 
menced his song. The facts in the case are, that 
I was scared iyito a man, while Crosbie came 
out of his scare and coolly fought and sung 
into one. 

We afterward learned, that our friend who got 
away had rode as fast as he could to Table rock 
and given the alarm, telling our boys that we 
were all killed, or soon would be, but to hurry to 
our assistance. This was all-sufficient to call 
forth their utmost energies, and as soon as a 
man caught a horse, he galloped away regardless 
of orders or command, using his own judgment, 
and straining every nerve to reach us first, 
regardless of danger ; and here a struggle com- 
menced, which lasted for twenty odd miles, each 
striving to be the first to the rescue. 

After all of the company came in, we encamped 
where we were for the night, putting out our 
guards. Next morning we took up our march 
to our former camp on Rogue river, carrying 
with us our dead and wounded. The dead we 
buried upon our arrival with the honors of war, 
our wounded we left in the care of the hospitable 
citizens of Jacksonville, where nearly all the 
settlers of the valley had assembled for mutual 
protection. 

We remained in camp here for several days, 
collecting and killing beeves, and "jerking" the 



74 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

meat. This latter is done by cutting beef into 
thin slices or strips, it is then salted a little and 
the strips hung on sticks over a slow fire to dry. 
When thoroughly dried, it was put up in 
convenient packages for transportation. This 
required several days, as we thought best to pre- 
pare for a long trail, knowing that the Indians 
would fight only on their chosen ground. 

While collecting and preparing provisions for 
the expediton, we amused ourselves by running 
foot-races, jumping and wrestling. We had a 
man with us by the name of Lout Price, from 
Cottonwood, California, who outran every one 
that tested his speed, as I had all that had been 
pitted against me. 

About this time. General Joseph Lane, accom- 
panied by a Mr, Armstrong, a wealthy gentle- 
man from the Willamette valley, came to the 
command. The former took command of the 
volunteers. 

It is hardly necessary for me to say that 
General Lane commanded the Indiana volunteers 
in the Mexican war, and the Oregon volunteers 
in 1850, against these same Indians (Rogue 
Rivers) . He was then delegate to congress from 
Oregon territory, afterward senator, on the 
admission of Oregon, and, finally, a candidate 
for the vice-presidency on the ticket with John 
C. Breckinridge. 



Reminisce7ices of an Old Timer. 75 

He was a brave and generous frontiers-man, 
selfmade, full of resources, and always equal to 
an emergency. It is said of him that he 
saved his command in Mexico with his cigar. 
His command, being encamped, were surprised 
by a large force of Mexican cavalry. His cannon 
were ready loaded with grape-shot, but there was 
no fire with which to " touch them off." Lane 
saw that these guns must be used to hold the 
Mexicans in check till his men could form to 
repulse the charge, or the whole command would 
be captured. So, as fast as the guns were trained, 
General Lane would "touch them off" with his 
lighted cigar, and in this way he saved his 
command. 

General Lane was Oregon's best friend, wielded 
more influence in congress than any other man 
in his day, and it was indeed a " cold day " for 
the Pacific states and territories, when they lost 
the strength and influence of this noble old 
veteran. 

Our officers concluded to send scouts to Bvans 
creek, to ascertain what route the Indians had 
taken after our fight. Past experience having 
taught us that horses were of no use in scouting 
these mountains. Lout Price was selected to per- 
form this dangerous duty, as he was believed to 
have more mountain experience, and to be the 
fleetest of foot of any. (Many thought I could 



'jd Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

" hold him level " in a long race, but up to this 
we had never tested our speed, and I guess each 
of us feared to test the matter.) When I learned 
that Price had been selected to perform this mis- 
sion, I requested the privilege of accompanying 
him, and he gladly seconded my request. After 
some opposition from older men, my request was 
granted, for they all knew I was endowed with 
great endurance. 

Having received our instructions and provided 
ourselves with a little of the "jerked" beef, we 
shook hands with our most intimate acquaint- 
ances and were set across the river, when we 
pushed out, up and over the mountain to the 
scene of our former battle. 

Thence slowly and cautiously we made our 
way up Evans creek, keeping near to or within 
the bushes that fringed its banks, using every 
precaution possible to prevent being ambushed 
or surprised. We could discern no " sign " in- 
dicating that Indians had been there since our 
fight. Toward evening we found it necessary to 
cross a bald ridge to another small creek that 
emptied into the one we had been following up. 

After a short rest, we started up a long gentle 
slope to cross this low elevation. Arriving at 
the summit to our surprise we discovered the In- 
dian lodges not more than three hundred yards 
distant on the other creek. As we took in this 



Re7niniscences of an Old Timer. 77 

sight we were made aware tliat the Indians had 
discovered us, about the same time we saw them ! 

They ''''raised the yell^^ and started for us. 
We didn't think it necessary to stop to " count 
noses," but whirled, and struck for Hvans creek 
and the brush at our best pace. Now was the 
time to test our speed. But we did not think it 
wise to stop to arrange a wager — rather run for 
glory, Bvans creek and the brush ; knowing 
that our only hope of safety was in reaching the 
friendly bushes before the Indians could get 
within rifle shot. We dropped our pouches of 
"jerked " beef, and as we only carried our revolv- 
ers and knives, we were in " light running 
order." Then commenced a race to save our 
hair, and a more equal one of five or six hun- 
dred yards v/as scarcely ever made, as we strained 
every nerve. We ran side by side, and as I 
looked at Price, I thought " you are a good one 
for not leaving me." Price afterward said he 
thought the same of me — as we approached the 
brush Price " panted out" to me, "go up the 
creek, and hide in the thick underbrush, I'll go 
down stream. Lay low until dark, then take 
for the mountains and for camp." 

It being nearly dark and as I didn't think we 
would be long separated, I acted on Price's orders, 
believing we could better elude our pursuers. 



j^ Remzmscences of an Old Timer. 

On getting well into the brusli I crawled up 
the creek a short distance making as little noise 
as possible, and "cached " myself. I could hear 
Price crushing down through the brush, making 
as much noise as would a yoke of stampeded 
oxen, and at once divined his motive, it was to 
draw the Indians after him and give me an op- 
portunity to escape, as he had confidence in his 
own ability to out-wit and elude his pursuers. I 
could hear the Indians yelling on his trail, the 
sounds growing fainter as they passed from my 
place of concealment. 

At dark I could not hear anything of Price, 
or the Indians, so I worked my way slowly and 
cautiously across the creek and toward the 
mountains, creeping and stopping every few feet 
to listen, at every crack of a twig, or flutter of a 
disturbed bird. I would grasp my revolver in 
one hand and with the other feel if my hair was 
in any way loose. After what seemed to me an 
interminable time, I came to the edge of the 
brush, on the opposite side of the creek, then I 
had to cross a flat some two hundred yards wide 
to reach the timber at the foot of the mountain. 
This flat I crossed b}^ crawling in the most cau- 
tious manner possible ; feeling before me to see 
that there were no obstructions that might cause 
me to make sufficient noise to attract the atten- 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 79 

tion of any hostile who might be prowling 
around, or left near on the watch. 

Upon gaining the timber and mountain I felt 
comparatively safe, and if Price had only beer 
with me I should have been as happy as a clam 
at high tide, but as he was not I must do the 
best I could. 

I studied the lay of the mountains, and the 
course of the creek, being far above where I had 
ever crossed before. I knew I would have many 
spurs and gulches to cross, as I dared not venture 
down Hvans creek for fear of running on to the 
Indians. So I slowly pursued my lonesome way. 
striving to keep parallel with the creek, till I 
reached the place we had before crossed at, or 
still better find Price, being satisfied he had 
eluded his pursuers as I had mine. 

On I went in total darkness for hour after 
hour. Finally, becoming tired out (as I was con- 
tinually falling over logs and brush, and getting 
scratched and bruised) , I found a large tree and 
sat down at its foot to await the rising of the 
moon, or till daylight. It was dreary and lonely 
waiting, " but the longest night must come to a 
close," and this, like all others, at last came to an 
end. The moon came up toward morning, and 
shed sufficient light for me to discern my way 
across the mountains and back to camp, where I 
arrived about 10 o'clock in the morning, to find 



8o Reminiscences of an Old Tinier. 

the camp in commotion. Price had got in the 
night before, and, relating onr adventures, was 
severely censured for (as they would have it) 
" forsaking the boy." He assured them that I 
would " turn up all liunkey"; saying, "he was as 
' cool as a cucumber ' ; aud while we were running 
he could have left me easily, but would not. I 
left him in the brush near night, and he wouldn't 
dare cross the mountains, from where he was, it 
was so dark ; but after daylight he will come in, 
you can bet your lives." 

He wouldn't tell them that he had left me in 
order to decoy the Indians after himself, and 
thus secure my safety. I verily believe they 
would have hung this brave and generous man 
if I hadn't put in an appearance during the day. 
But, upon my appearing on the bank of the river 
and hailing for a canoe, there went up a glad 
shout, and I assure you I didn't have to wait 
long for a boat. Once in camp, I was fed and 
questioned; and, when I gave my version of our 
adventure and Price's generous action, all were 
ready to "shake," and beg his pardon for the 
naughty things they had said. 

Afterward, at different times, many of our 
{"riends strove to have us pitted against each 
other in a race, but each of us preferred to let 
the question rest, and remained of the opinion 
that the other ran that day to keep up^ and was 
too brave to leave a comrade in peril. 



CHAPTER VI. 

The Volunteers Follow the Indians — " Coyote ' ' Indian Dogs 
Betray their Owners — General Lane's Courage — A Hand- 
to-Hand Encounter with a Snake-like Foe in Fire and 
Smoke— Shot Through the Heart—" I'm Killed, Write ! " 
— What Disabled My Gun — "Break This the Same 
Way" — Were the Sights Moved? — " Somebody Made a 
Good Injun " — A Broken Wrist the Result of Jubilation — 
Red Devils Surrender — Improvised Litters — Our Dis- 
charge and General Lane's Remembrance — Generosity of 
a Szvan-(\ike) Woman — Ben Wright's Scouting Party — A 
Disabled Comrade Disables His Weapons and Sleeps With 
Them — Collecting Back Dues — Three Times Licked — 
Brandy in the Fourth Heat — The Lassoed Grizzly and 
the Mule — How the Cook Brought in a Grizzly. 

THE command now being well supplied with 
"jerked beef," and everything being in 
readiness, we removed across Rogue River and 
on to Evans Creek, where we camped that night. 
Next morning we followed the trails of the 
Indians, which led us high up into the mount- 
ains. These trails we followed for some days, 
when Bob Metcalf, Lout Price, and myself, who 
had been acting as scouts, upon gaining the 
^ (8i) 



82 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

summit of a high ridge, heard the barking of 
coyote dogs in the canyon below. This assured 
us that we had at last brought these wiley sav- 
ages to bay, and closer inspection satisfied us that 
they had selected their position for a struggle. 

General Lane was notified, and was soon on 
the ridge overlooking the canyon. The command 
coming up, the order was given to dismount, 
then leaving the horses in care of a guard. Gen- 
eral Lane ordered a charge down the mountain, 
himself leading, swinging his hat and hurrahing 
for the man who fired the first shot. 

The Indians had set fire to the dead pitch pine 
trees and dry brush surrounding their camp, so 
we had literally to fight in fire and smoke. We 
reached them in a few moments and there ensued 
a hand-to-hand struggle which lasted a few min- 
utes. 

General Lane was wounded in the same arm 
in which he had before received a Mexican ball. 
His friend, Mr. Armstrong, was killed (shot 
through the head) . My partner, John Scarbrough, 
while fighting by my side, was shot through the 
heart. He fell, then jumping to his feet said 
^^ Pm killed^ write/ ''^ then fell dead without a 
struggle (he had a wife and six children in In- 
diana) . The Colonel in command of the seven or 
eight "regulars" was shot through the shoulder 
and several others fell dead or badly wounded. 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 83 

I broke off my gun stock in striking an Indian, 
but this made it all the more handy while in 
close quarters. 

The Indians soon learned that close quarters 
wouldn't do for them, so they scattered and 
fought from behind trees in the midst of the 
smoke and fire. As my gun was broken and the 
boys were playing on them at long range in In- 
dian fashion, I went back a short distance and 
found General Lane sitting on a log with his 
arm undressed and bleeding. As I approached 
he asked why I was not down with the " boys ? " 
I showed him my gun barrel, and as he knew 
how it got broken he gave me his shotgun and 
ammunition saying " break that in the same way 
if you get the chance." I took it, and our men 
having formed a skirmish line across the canyon 
below them and were working up on either side 
from tree to tree and slowly crowding the enemy 
from their cover, I advanced up the left side of 
the canyon till I reached a large sugar pine tree, 
where I found Tom Hayes (an old soldier of the 
Mexican War) behind it. He told me he thought 
we were the farthest up on the left flank so I 
stopped with him, and was peering into the 
dense smoke which hovered over the little flat 
that the Indians occupied. I was able to see but 
a short distance. Hayes would load his rifle, 
aim, fire, take a hasty look, and load and fire 



84 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

again. I couldn't see what lie was shooting at, 
finally he remarked that he must have got the 
sights of his fine target gun moved, and said try 
my gun and see what ails it. I said that he 
couldn't see an Indian from where we were. 

He said " yes I do ! come on this side of the 
tree, and look over that big log in front of the 
big tree, pointing as he spoke. Watch close and 
you'll see an Indian come up after he has re- 
loaded, he is shooting at the boys below, and 
hasn't discovered us." (The continuous firing 
by Whites and Indians, accompanied by their 
shouts and yells and the barking of the coyote 
dogs created such a din, that one could scarcely 
hear the other's voice, much less could you tell 
by the report what direction a shot was fired 
from.) 

I gave Tom my shotgun and taking his rifle 
closely watched the tree he had pointed out to 
me. I soon saw something rising from behind the 
log and close to the tree Tom had pointed out, 
and as it continued to rise I could see through the 
smoke that it was an Indian, I waited till he 
raised his gun to shoot, then taking a quick aim 
at his shoulder I fired, at the crack of the gun 
he uttered a fierce yell and jumping high in the 
air (his gun going off as he went up) he fell over 
the log toward us alighting on his head and 
shoulders, some one had made a " good Indian " 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 85 

of that fellow sure. This was too mucli for Hayes, 
he sprang out from the tree swinging his hat and 
shouting at the top of his voice, but he came 
back faster than he went and with a different cry. 
The Indians had now discovered our position and 
a stream of bullets poured at our tree, one of the 
first passing through Hayes' wrist breaking both 
bones. Seeing that it was getting too hot for us 
where we were, and that Hayes had got a 
" furlough " and was ready for the pension rolls 
of his country, we beat a hasty retreat to our 
comrades below. Fighting continued for some 
hours when the Indians called to Metcalf (who 
had a squaw for a wife) for quarters. After a 
while General Lane instructed Metcalf to tell 
them to come into camp on the ridge where our 
horses were left and he would treat with them, 
this they did, giving up their arms. There were 
two or three hundred warriors alive, but scarcely 
a dozen of them were without wounds of a more 
or less serious nature received in one or the other 
jf our two skirmishes. 

We all noted throughout the fighting above all 
other sounds the shoutings of old chief John, 
giving his orders and ''medicine cries." 

We encamped for the night on the ridge, the 
Indians bringing us water from the canyon. 

The next morning we buried our dead on the 
battlefield, then constructed litters on which to 



86 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

carry our wounded out of the mountains. This 
we did by lashing poles to the sides of horses, 
one horse in front of the other, then stretching a 
blanket from one pole to the other between the 
horses, thus forming a cot or litter, upon which 
we laid those of our wounded who were not able 
to ride on horseback. All being ready we took 
up our line of march over the rough route we 
had come, much of the way we had to clear a 
trail of brush and trees with our hatchets to 
enable the horses carrying the litters to pass, we 
were several days in reaching Jacksonville where 
some of our wounded died soon after. The 
Indians soon came in and made a treaty of peace 
with General Lane. We were discharged and 
returned to our several homes and occupations. 

General Lane afterward secured the passage 
through congress of a bill allowing each of the 
volunteers one dollar per day for the time served, 
and a i6o-acre land-warrant. I gave my land- 
warrant to mother, when I next saw her. 

I returned to Humbug and joined my partner, 
Study, in mining, for some months. 

About this time an incident occurred at Yreka, 
that I deem worthy of note. 

There arrived on the " flats " two boys, aged 
respectively seventeen and nineteen years. They 
stopped in a mining-cabin about a mile from 
town. Before obtaining work or finding " pay- 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. Sy 

ing diggings" they were both stricken with 
fever. The eldest died, and the other lay in a 
critical condition before the facts became known 
to the public. 

One evening a miner came to town and 
related the circumstances in a gambling-saloon, 
when a sporting-woman named " Swan," who 
was bucking at monte at the time, sprang upon 
a gambling-table, grabbed a hat from the head 
of one of the dealers and threw into it a handful 
of money from her purse, saying, " Swan is 
sorry so much," naming the amount, which was 
a large sum to contribute, " Boys how much are 
you sorry?" It would be needless for me to tell 
an old-timer that the boys were all " sorry." 
Swan moved from table to table and from saloon 
to saloon until she was satisfied with the amount 
collected, then, in company with a doctor and 
others, she repaired to the cabin, and assisted 
in preparing the remains for a decent burial. 
She then caused the other young man to be 
taken to her own house where she nursed him 
till he was able to travel, then presenting him 
with a check for some two thousand dollars — 
purchased with the money donated — and a ticket 
for his return to New York, she said, "take this 
and go home, you have had enough of California 
life." 



88 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

Poor woman ! She sleeps in a comparatively 
unknown grave, where she was laid by the rough 
hands of warm-hearted miners. 

Hearing that the Modocs and Pitt River Indi- 
ans at or near Klamath lake were killing emi- 
grants who were coming in on that route, I joined 
a scouting party that was organized by Ben 
Wright, the noted Indian fighter and scout. 
Lout Price and " Greasy John " (now recovered 
from his wound) were of the party. 

We had many skirmishes with these Indians, but 
sustained no serious loss, until one day our brave 
friend, " Greasy John " (Melvin), started alone 
on a scout along the margin of a tule lake. He 
not returning that night, we went in search of 
him the next morning, and found his body lying 
in a "pot-hole" or sink, riddled with bullets. 
But he left proof of his valor, for beside him lay 
his gun, pistol and knife, showing that after 
firing his last shot, he had broken the tubes off 
both the former and then broke the knife, to 
prevent the redskins from using them against 
his friends. 

Noble John ! He sleeps with his broken 
weapons beside him in an unknown grave, where 
he fell, but his memory is enshrined in the 
heart of many an old miner. 

We returned to Humbug soon after this, and 
Study and myself resumed mining. 



Reminisce7ices of an Old Timer. 89 

That winter I received a letter from my uncle, 
Samuel Meek, informing me of tHe whereabouts 
of my father and the rest of the family, and of 
their good health. During the next spring my 
father moved to Yreka with the family. 

Some time during the summer of 1854, while 
Allen, Study, Draper, Carwile, myself and others 
were coming across the Yreka flats we saw a 
man coming to meet us. Allen asked me, "Isn't 
that Bill Adams coming there ? " Allen had 
known him in the States. I replied that I thought 
it was. He then asked if I thought I was able 
to collect my pay, for helping him drive his 
cattle over the Cascade trails? "I'll try it at 
any rate," said I. On meeting, Adams shook 
hands with Allen, Draper, and Carwile, but 
didn't seem to recognize me, as I was then " sev- 
eral sizes " larger than I was when he refused to 
pay me the five dollars. Allen inquired of him if 
he knew that boy (pointing to me). He replied 
that my face was familiar, but he couldn't "place 
me." 

I then stepped up and asked him if he had 
such a thing as a five - dollar piece in his 
" breeches? " If so, he would please " fork over," 
for I had waited long enough for it. He recog- 
nized me, and said he didn't think I earned it. 
I replied : " That makes no difference; I told you 
when I last saw you, that if we ever met again 



90 Reminiscences of a7i Old Timer. 

when I was well and able you would pay me 
with interest, now we have met, and I am well, 
so fork over the dust." He saw that I " meant 
business," and said, " Well ! I'll give it to j^ou 
rather than have a fuss over it." So he handed 
me five dollars. I said, "Now the interest !" "How 
much ? " he asked. I said I thought two-and-a- 
half would be about the proper thing ; this he 
paid me without a word. 

I then said, "Now I propose to 'strife 'with 
you, and you'd better arrange yourself ! " See- 
ing my revolver he thought I was going to 
shoot him, but I took off my belt and handed it 
to Allen, telling him to do likewise. He seeing 
that there was 710 other doctor hi the place, 
" squared off" and at it we went ! I soon found 
that I had a larger contract on my hands than I 
had bargained for ; but I " stayed with him " till 
he " sung out." Allen told me I had done well ; 
but I was not in a condition to ornament a ball- 
room or the dress-circle of a first-class theatre, 
for some days after. 

Allen met him some months afterward, gave 
him another licking, and he fearing, I suppose, 
that he would eventually get one from Canvile 
and Draper as well, left the diggings. I never 
met him afterwards. 

About this time I and one George L. Willey, 
struck " pay " in a deep bar on Humbug. For a 



Reminiscences of an Old Tinier. 91 

sHort time we got good " pay " ($20 to $30 per 
day) , but getting off tHe "pay streak," we worked 
some weeks without getting the " color." Willey 
becoming discouraged, proposed to sell out, and 
rather than have a stranger for a partner, I 
bought his interest myself. 

According to our mining laws we had to 
" represent our claims " at least one day in each 
week, so leaving word with Jackson ("Whisky 
Jackson " for short) to hire a man for me as soon 
as he could, I continued in the claim alone. I 
soon found the " pay streak " again, and was tak- 
ing out big money, when on going to work one 
morning I found a notice posted on a tree on one 
of my claims to the effect. that George L. Willey 
(the same man I had bought it of) had " located 
this ground." 

Miners now seemed to be "falling from grace ;" 
that is to say, they were not the gentlemen they 
were the year before (in my opinion). 

For me to say that I tore down that notice and 
swore a very little is touching it light enough. 

I returned to my cabin, got my revolver, and 
going back to my claims found Willey at work 
starting a drift, I asked him what he was doing, 
and he told me he had located that ground, 
"Didn't I pay you for this ground?" I asked. 
" Yes," said he, " but you have forfeited it by not 
representing it ! " I pulled my pistol and told him 



92 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

that if lie didn't leave in a minute he would be 
in a poor condition to " represent " anything. 
He left, and called a miners' meeting, at which I 
proved that I had authorized and requested 
Jackson to hire a man for me, and that I had 
been doing all in my power to conform to the 
miners' laws. The claim was awarded to me and 
Willey was warned not to molest me in my rights 
again ; but I was not yet rid of him. 

Some days later I went to Jackson's "dead 
fall " (all the stores were called " dead falls " by 
us, for they all sold whisky as well as miners' 
supplies ; Jackson sold beef in addition) . As I was 
passing under a shed roof I saw Willey and a 
miner named Hill talking. Willey had a drifting 
pick, with which he was amusing himself by pick- 
ing at a log over his head. I spoke to Hill as I 
passed, and he asking some question, I stopped 
and turned toward him. At this instant Willey 
struck me on the head with the pick, and if Hill 
had not noticed the movement and partially 
arrested the blow these reminiscences would not 
have been written, by me at least. The blow 
knocked me back against a keg of ax and pick 
handles. In a second I had jerked out one of 
them and before I got on my feet, I struck and 
"caught "Willey on the jaw. Others interfering, 
we were both Carried or assisted to our cabins for 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 93 

" repairs," lie with a broken jaw and I with a 
broken head. 

Some weeks after we had got well we met on 
the trail, I going down and he coming up. He 
being a more powerful man than I, I thought I 
would pass him without a word if he would allow 
me to do so, but when he came up to me he 
smiled, as much as to say, "How is your head?" 
That settled it ; I hit him on the nose, and then 
came the " tug of war." I " got in " one or two 
more on his face, when he grabbed me up, and 
laying me down on the trail, was doing a first- 
class job in the way of polishing my upper works, 
when some vaqueros came along and pulled him 
off. I returned to my cabin for "more repairs." I 
had got a great deal the worst of that "racket." 

Later on we had an election or " miners' meet- 
ing " at Round town, and as I was going down in 
company with some friends I met Willey coming 
out of a saloon; his eyes said to me, "Well, how 
do you feel since our last meeting? " My 
answer was a " bij6f " in his face and we went for 
each other again. I could outstrike him, and got 
in some good ones, but at last he " muzzled " me 
and again laid me down and — well, he licked me. 

My friends told me I was a fool to fight such 
a man with my fists, and I thought so, too, but I 
had Been the aggressor the most of the time. 



94 Remi7iisce7tces of an O.ld Timer. 

Again I met him in *" shooting McGee's " 
saloon in Yreka. I was standing at the bar in 
company with many others. Study had just 
poured out a big glass of brandy and I was 
lighting a cigar when some one crowded in beside 
me and called for drinks ; turning, I saw it was 
Willey. I snatched Study's glass and saying 
some appropriate (?) words dashed the brandy into 
his face. Then we " had it " again, but either 
the brandy had failed to help his eyesight, or I 
did better dodging than I had done before, for he 
was unable to get hold of me and I was putting 
a "mansard roof " on him fast when he said, " that 
will do! " I was glad he said it for I hadn't been 
at all sure of the result. 

I relate the above incident only to prove, that 
a little brandy properly used will sometimes help 
a poor fellow out of a tight place. 

Again I must call the attention of the reader 
to the fact, that I am writing wholly from mem- 
ory, and without a single reference. But every 
circumstance herein related actually occurred, 
though I am liable to "jump a cog" as regards 
the real order and date of the happening ; for a 
lapse of thirty-five years obliterates dates in my 
memory. 

On one of our visits to Yreka, Study and I 
heard that some Mexicans had lassoed a grizzly 
up in Shasta valley, ten or twelve miles distant 



ReiJtiniscences of an Old Tinier. 95 

from Yreka, and were bringing him to town for 
tHe purpose of having a bear-fight. Bvery one 
who could get a horse or mule had gone to see 
the sport. Study and I rushed around, and 
finally procured a horse for myself and an old 
mule for Study. A venerable mule he was ! 
Probably the one that was in the ark with Noah, 
that is, if that good old man carried any of these 
long-eared gentry to amuse Shem, Ham and 
Japhet on the tedious voyage. (Mules' hind 
legs are nice things to have among children — 
bad children.) All animals were represented in 
the ark, to perpetuate their species and qualifi- 
cations. This being the case, a mule or a railroad- 
man must have had a berth on board, for a railroad- 
man can do more kicking to the square inch than 
any other animal on God's green earth — unless it 
be a mule. Away we went, kicking, damning and 
whipping (for it takes all the above-named per- 
suasion to induce an old mule to a faster gait 
than a shambling trot — especially damning). 
Arriving at the scene of action, the grizzly and 
the Spaniards were surrounded by a hundred or 
more men on horseback. They had stopped for 
awhile to arrange matters with his bearship. 
The Spaniards had cut a small juniper-tree, 
lopped the limbs, making a drag, worked the 
bear on to it, and with rawhide ropes or riatas 
hitched to the tree and the horns of their saddles. 



96 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

were slowly pulling him along. Now and then 
the bear would get ofif the boughs, and they 
would have to work him back again. 

For some time we couldn't get a view of 
either Spaniards or bear, but all at once the 
crowd gave away on our side, and we got sight 
of the bear. Study's mule saw him just as he 
gave a "snort." This settled it. " Old Noah " 
(the mule) whirled and started for Yreka, and at 
every jump he would let off a "Yah-he! Yah- 
he ! " Of course every one present " raised the 
yell," and this only lent speed to the- mule. 
Study " sat him " like a Trojan, and sawed his 
mouth, but having only a snaf&e-bit, he might as 
well have pulled at Mount Shasta as at old 
"Noah's" mouth. This being a level country, 
we could see Study and his mule for miles, 
Study's coat-tails and hair flying straight out, 
and the mule keeping up his " music." 

When I got to town that evening, I asked 
Study where " Noah " stopped. " In the stable," 
he replied. 

Just compare Sheridan's ride on his black 
horse, from " Winchester, twenty miles away," 
with Study's ride on his " mool," from a grizzly, 
"only ten miles from town." Sheridan was 
eulogized — Study was "chaffed;" Sheridan was 
well treated — Study " stood the treats." 



Reininiscences of an Old Timer. 97 

About this time a dozen or more miners and 
sports concluded to go into the mountains for a 
hunt. So, having provided themselves with a 
generous supply of provisions (not forgetting 
the mne^-ar-kcg) , they started out, and finding a 
convenient spot, pitched their camp, selecting 
their cook for the time. This " cook " was a 
jovial, witty fellow. Hunting commenced, grizzly 
was their ambition. After several days, some 
having brought in a grouse or two, others 
a deer, but none having reported a grizzly, it 
became the cook's turn to go out, and as he 
loaded his gun, he said: " You fellers don't know 
how to hunt grizzlys. I'm going out to-day, and 
you bet your boots I'll fetch one to camp." Off 
he started. He had got but a short distance from 
camp when, in passing through a "patch" of 
manzanita brush, he run on to a she-grizzly. 
Madam Grizzly "made a dive for him," he 
dropped his gun and " lit out " for camp. As he 
neared the camp (Mrs. Grizzly only a few yards 
behind him), he cried out, " Here we come, damn 
our brave souls!" It is needless to say that her 
majesty received a warm reception, and stayed 
at the camp. So did the cook. He said that 
was the only grizzly he ever lost, and he didn't 
propose to experiment with them any more. 

T 



CHAPTER VII. 

Commencement of the Rogue River Indian War of 1855-56 — 
"Jump off Joe" — A "Friend Indeed " — A "Restless " 
Night — "You Don't Need Your Coflfee, Mother" — An 
Unsolicited Escort — "Own up" — " Monkeying with the 
Escort ' ' — A Delusive Camp, and a Forced Go — " Put Back 
That Hat "—" There's a Mule Under Me "—A Rough 
Night March — A "Close Call " — Two Brave Women — 
The General Indian Outbreak of '55 — The Governor Calls 
for Volunteers — " Go George! If I was a Man I'd go with 
You" — The Muster — The Flag " Cayuse Principles " — 
Old Tried and True Friends — "Piecrust Promises ' ' — De- 
tached as Scout— A Joke That Worked Both Ways— Court- 
martialed and Advised. 

I CONTINUED mining on Humbug, and near 
Yreka, till the summer of 1855, when my 
father concluded to send the family back to the 
Willamette valley, and as he could not go with 
them at the time, I escorted them. 

Hiring two four-mule teams, and a two-horse 
family carriage we started. There were in our 
party the two teamsters, myself and a young 
man, in poor health, who was going to the Willa- 
mette, my mother, three sisters and a brother 

(9S) 



li 



Reminiscences of an Old Tinier. 99 

who was six or seven years old. I had a saddle 
horse along, and my oldest sister (a young lady 
of sixteen years) generally rode him. All went 
well, after we crossed the summit of the Siskiyou 
mountains (the dividing line between Oregon 
and California.) We met some ox-teams loaded 
with apples going to Yreka. We bought some 
of their fruit, and pushed on through Rogue 
river valley. We had got some distance below 
Jacksonville, near "Coyote" Bvan's ferry, when 
a friend of mine by the name of Green Linville, 
rode up to us, his horse reeking with sweat, and 
after speaking pleasantly to my mother he 7nade 
me knoiv that he wished to speak to me in pri- 
vate, so I told sister to get into the carriage and 
drive as I wished to talk with Mr. Linville 
awhile ! 

I mounted the horse and we dropped behind 
the wagons out of hearing. Linville asked me 
if I was aware that the Rogue river Indians had 
again gone on the war path. I told him no ! he 
said " they have ! they killed the men with the 
apple teams shortly after you passed them, I 
heard at Jacksonville that you were on the road 
with your family, so I came on as fast as I could 
to warn you." 

We consulted on the situation, and concluded 
that as the Indians would not think we had 
heard of the outbreak, it would be as well for us 



loo Reminiscences of an Old Tinier. 

to go on, as to turn back, and probably better, 
as our turning back would be proof of our having 
heard of the trouble ; so we determined to go on 
at all hazards, but not to let the teamsters or 
family know of the danger menacing us, as long 
as we could help it. 

I told Ivinville I couldn't asked him to accom- 
pany us on so hazardous an expedition. He 
replied, "You need not, for I shall go without 
asking, and won't leave you till the folks are in 
a place of safety." 

I well knew this man's bravery and determina- 
tion and was only too glad to have his company, 
but felt that it would be only a sacrifice on his 
part if we were attacked. 

That evening after a hard drive we crossed the 
river and camped by a log corral, three or four 
miles below the mouth of Evans creek, a favorite 
camping place of the Indians. 

After feeding the stock, getting supper, and 
seeing that everything was secure, Linville and 
I laid down near mother's bed (the weather being 
fine, we all slept out of the wagons). We had 
concluded to rest our stock this night and 
make a hard drive for the Umpqua canyon next 
day (some forty miles over Cow creek and Crab 
creek hills — a rough road) . 

We had also determined to go up to the mouth 
of Evans creek, as soon as all was quiet and we 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. loi 

could get away, to make a reconnoissance and see if 
there were any Indians there, and if so, how they 
appeared. I lay until I thought all were asleep 
except Linville; I cautiously raised up and was 
about to crawl off so as not to awake mother, 
but it was " no go ;" she spoke to me, so I laid 
down again. After awhile I tried it again, but 
with a worse result than before, for mother said 
" What is the matter with you ? You usually sleep 
like one of the seven sleepers, but to-night you 
are starting up as though yoM feared sometlmtgy 
I replied, " Oh pshaw, mother, give us a rest; I 
thought I heard the horses making a noise," and 
down I laid again, resolved to be more careful in 
my next attempt. 

After waiting till we were sure mother was 
asleep, Linville and I crawled out of camp, and 
as soon as we were out of hearing walked rapidly 
until we got within a few hundred yards of 
Bvans creek. We were already aware of the 
presence of Indians at the old camping ground, 
for we had heard the beating of sticks and drums 
(these " drums " are made by stretching wet deer 
skins over hoops and letting them dry; they beat 
on them as an accompaniment to their weird sing- 
ing) . Cautiously creeping forward,we laid behind 
some brush and watched their movements ; they 
were having a big dance and were painted up ; 
everything went to show that this was a war 



I02 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

dance. We lay there watching them until near 
morning, then quietly went back to our camp. 

Before daylight we had the teamsters up, the 
mules and horses harnessed and hitched up, and 
were ready to start as soon as it was light enough 
to see to drive. 

We had told the teamsters that we feared the 
Indians were about to go on the war-path and we 
had better go as far as Jump-off-Jo creek for 
breakfast. This creek received its name from an 
incident that occurred some years before. Some 
Oregonians were passing through this country, 
on their way to California, when one of the party 
called Jo being out after a lost horse, the Indians 
got after him. He ran for camp and friends, but 
on coming to this creek he found himself on top 
of a bluff some twenty feet high; here he hesitated, 
the Indians were close after him, and there being 
no other chance for his escape, his friends seeing 
his danger cried, ''''Jump off^Jo; jiwip off, Jo.'''' Off 
Jo jumped and came down all right, and soon 
joined his friends, thus saving his '' har." From 
this incident this creek took the name of Jump- 
off-Jo. 

As soon as it was sufficiently light we were 
about to start, when mother declared she could 
not think of starting without having a cup of 
coffee, for she would have the sick headache all 
day if she went without it. Whilst I was trying 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 103 

to argue tlie case witli her we saw thirty or forty 
Indians mounted upon ponies coming from Bvans 
creek. Mother seeing them said as she climbed 
into the carriage, "George, you fear those Indians, 
and that is why you were so wakeful last night." 
I said, "You are right, mother; those Indians are 
on the war-path, but they think we don't know it ; 
so keep the children quiet, and don't let the 
Indians see that we are afraid of them, and we 
may escape ! " She said not a word as the In- 
dians were close at hand, but stayed in the car- 
riage with the children. 

The Indians on coming up appeared friendly — 
asked where we were going ? We told them to 
the Willamette, they then asked for tobacco, and 
I divided a piece with the head man. They 
started on and we followed, as they were going 
the same road that we were. They would go a 
short distance, then stop to consult, and we 
would come up and pass them. I generally 
stopped back with them until the teams passed 
(they generally stopped at small streams to 
drink and smoke) ; when the teams got a short 
distance ahead, I would gallop up to the wagons. 
When the Indians overtook and passed us again, 
I would ride a short distance with them and then 
drop back to the teams again. This proceeding 
was repeated several times during the day. 



I04 Reminisceiices of an Old Tifuer. 

Finally my eldest sister becoming tired of the 
wagons got on to my horse for a short ride while 
the Indians were behind us. But as they came 
up, they made such demonstrations that she be- 
came frightened and got into the carriage. 

They at one time tangled up our lead mule 
team as it was crossing a bridge. I passed in 
among them and drove their ponies off the 
bridge laughing all the while. This was all 
sport (?) so far, but the villains were only await- 
ing an opportunity to make sure of us without 
alarming the few settlers who kept wayside inns 
or hotels along the road. As we passed them, 
Linville or I would manage to warn them of the 
danger, but to no purpose, for like rumors were? 
current every week or two, and they paid no at- 
tention to our warnings. 

When we got to Cow creek, near the Umpqua 
canyon, we stopped, turned out our teams, and 
made preparations to camp for the night. The 
Indians came up and asked us if we were going 
to stay there all night. We told them yes. In 
a short time they started on, saying they were 
going to camp a mile or so below. 

As soon as they were out of sight, I told the 
teamsters we would hitch up and drive through 
the canyon during the night. 

But as we had already driven some forty miles 
that day over a rough and rugged road, our stock 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 105 

was tired, and the teamsters refused to hitch up 
their mules, declaring there was no danger, and 
it was only a " scare " — they didn't believe the 
Indians were on the war-path. 

I tried to reason with them, showing our utter 
inability to protect the family in case of an 
attack, and told them that Linville and I had 
planned, long before reaching Cow creek, to go 
into camp there, and let the Indians pass us, 
believing we were going to stay there all night ; 
for, if they knew that we were going to attempt to 
go through the canyon that night, after traveling 
as far as we had that day, they would never allow 
us to escape; that our plans had worked well 
thus far, and if we remained where we were, I 
didn't believe there would be one of us left to 
tell the tale. 

Still they refused to move an inch. 

Linville stopped the argument by picking up 
a shotgun and saying that if they didn't hitch 
up and push on through the canyon, he would 
save the Indians some trouble, for the teams 
should go, " danger or no danger." This argu- 
ment proved effectual, as I had in the meantime 
got hold of another gun. So we hitched up, and 
pushed on into the canyon. 

This canyon is some ten miles long, and separ- 
ates what is known as the "Cow Creek country" 
from the south Umpqua. 



io6 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

In tlie days of wliicli I am writing, this canyon 
was a terror to teamsters. It used to take three 
or four days to get a wagon through it. To give 
the reader some idea of what this canyon was at 
that time, I will relate a story that was current 
in early days. 

Some packers, while passing through this 
canyon, found a hat lying on the ground. One 
of them raised it up and found a man's head 
under it. The head exclaimed, " Put that hat 
back, there is a d — : — d good mule under me 
yet ! " 

I don't vouch for the literal truth of the above, 
but it was not uncommon to see a whole pack- 
train mired down, the packers unloading and 
carrying the cargoes to less miry ground, then 
helping the horses or mules out and repacking 
them, only to repeat the performance many times 
while going through this pass. 

Lieutenant Joe Hooker, later known as " Fight- 
ing Joe Hooker," afterward expended some 
$90,000 of government money in building a 
military road through this pass, and, contrary to 
the general rule, he did a first-class job for the 
money expended. 

All through that long, weary night we moved 
on, over rocks and through mud and water. 
Toward daybreak we came out at what is now 
Canyonville — then there was only a '* hotel " 



Remimsceitces of an Old Timer. 107 

there. Men women and children were "give out," 
as were our mules and horses. Stripping off 
saddles and harness, we sank down on our blank- 
ets to rest, and slept till we were awakened 
about ten o'clock by a horseman, who came dash- 
ing through the canyon. He stopped and told 
us that the Indians had killed everybody between 
Jacksonville and the other end of the canyon, and 
burned all the houses. 

This report was nearly true, as there were 
only two or three exceptions — one, a Mrs. Neida, 
and another, Mrs. Harris, with her wounded 
child. 

These two brave women, after their husbands 
had fallen dead, seized their guns and defended 
their homes. How it happened that the Indi- 
ans allowed these two women to escape, after 
fighting them for hours, none can tell — but 
they did. 

This was the commencement of the Rogue 
River Indian war of 1855-6. 

We had had a " close call," and I must confess 
that I was scared worse and for a longer period 
than at any other time in my life, as during the 
entire trip from Evans ferry to the mouth of the 
canyon, I had fully realized that the least thing 
that would indicate to the Indians that we knew 
they meant mischief would have precipitated a 
fight, and as we only had one rifle, a shotgun 



io8 Reminiscences of aji Old Tirner. 

and three revolvers among five men and one of 
them sick, hampered with the women and 
children as we were, there would have been no 
other alternative than to make the best fight we 
could with no hope of rescue from any quarter. 

After resting a day and reluctantly taking 
leave of Linville we continued on our way to the 
Willamette. 

Linville, I afterward learned, returned to 
Jacksonville and took part in the war that fol- 
lowed. At its close he returned to Yreka and 
thence back East. 

Generous, brave Linville, if you are still living 
and chance to read the poorly worded L^ccouut of 
that day and night in the Cow creek hills and 
Umpqua canyon, you will realize that an old- 
timer never forgets a friend who stood by him in 
the hour of his greatest peril and need. 

I was resolved to return as soon as my mother 
and sisters reached a place of safety. 

We reached Corvallis without further adven- 
ture, and there heard that all the Indians in the 
Northwest, except the Nez Perces, had gone on 
the war-path. 

The Governor of Oregon Territory had issued 
a call for volunteers to go east of the Cascade 
mountains, to what was then called the " Walla 
Walla country," embracing eastern Oregon, 
eastern Washington and western Idaho, and 



Reminiscences of an Old TiTner. 109 

now termed the "Inland Empire" — tlie grandest 
farming country in the whole Northwest. 

They were organizing companies in nearly 
every county in Oregon to go to the " front." I 
bought another horse, a fast animal, and return- 
ing home with it, my mother well knowing what 
was going on met me at the door and handing 
me my gun and pistol, said : "Go, George ; if I was 
a man I'd go with you." So after taking an 
affectionate and tender leave of my mother and 
sisters, I, in company with some other young men 
of the neighborhood, went and enlisted in Captain 
Munson's Company I, Benton County Volunteers. 

Among others who joined this company were 
George Elliott, David White, Lint Starr, Rich- 
ard and Thomas Richardson, Wesley and 
Warren Hinton and Al Lloyd. I mention these 
names because many of them are still living. 

Our company, numbering about seventy-five 
young men, was organized at Corvallis and im- 
mediately left for Portland, the place of rendezvous 
for all the volunteers, where we waited a few daj^s 
till all the companies arrived, so we could be 
mustered into service by the Governor and fur- 
nished with supplies. 

The ladies of Portland made beautiful flags for 
each of the companies and presented them to us 
through the Governor on the day we were mus- 
tered in. The Governor in presenting them 



no Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

made some very appropriate remarks in behalf 
of the ladies. It so happened that our com- 
pany's flag was handed to me; I carried it awhile, 
as will be shown. Having been " fitted out " for 
the expedition, we were furnished with ponies ; 
we called them "cayuses" (pronounced "ki-yuse," 
after the Indian tribe of that name, which seemed 
to make a specialty of that kind of stock). On 
these we were to pack our supplies and camp 
equipage ; so early one morning we packed up 
and started eastward from Portland through the 
timber for Big Sandy, where a barge was in 
waiting to convey us to the lower cascades in tow 
of a steamboat. The most of the " cayuses " were 
wild, and the rattling of cups, kettles, pans, etc., 
naturally inspired them to activity ; then the fun 
commenced; each pony went on his "own hook" 
through the timber, the air was full of kettles, 
pans and curses. Well, we got some of the 
ponies and outfit to Sandy, where we embarked 
horses, men and outfit on the hull of the steamer 
" Gazelle," which had blown up some time before 
at Oregon City. The hull was towed here to be used 
as a lighter. The steamer not having the power 
to breast the current, we were landed on an island 
just below the lower cascades ; from this we waded 
and swam to the main land and went on up the 
river trails. 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. iii 

About this time an election was held for regi- 
mental ofi&cers, resulting in the election of J. V. 
Nerzneitt, Colonel; J. K. Kelley, Lieutenant- 
colonel; Chinn, 2nd Major; and — Armstrong 

ist Major, Among the minor regimental officers 
elected, I remember Sergeant-major Miller. More 
of him hereafter. 

We reached The Dalles without noteworthy 
incident except that two or three of the boys had 
carelessly let their guns go off when pointed to- 
ward themselves, which we called " accidental 
shooting." 

We had been assured that we would be fur- 
nished with tents and blankets at The Dalles, 
but the promise was about all we got in that line; 
so we averaged two thin single blankets to three 
men, all through that winter campaign. 

On our arrival at The Dalles I was detached as 
a scout by Major Armstrong, a brother of the 
Mr. Armstrong I mentioned as having been 
killed by the side of General Lane, in the Rogue 
river war of '53. There I had to let go of our 
company flag, and I turned it over to George 
Elliott, upon assuming the duties of scout. 

My first act at the Dalles was to go to the 
Mission, to see Father Mesplee and John Hali- 
gan, and it was a glad meeting, especially to 
Haligan and myself. I remained with him over 
night, and told him of my father and the family, 



ti2 Remmiscences of a 71 Old Timer. 

my adventures, etc. Then I went with my com- 
pany which was ordered to Indian creek or T\^e 
valley some forty miles south of the Dalles, as it 
was believed there were Indians all through that 
part of the country. 

One morning I was ordered by our captain to 
take a few men and make a scout of a few miles 
in the direction of John Days river. I selected 
Dave White, Geo. Elliott and Dick Richardson. 
I wanted Lint. Starr, but he was on picket duty 
about a mile from camp, so I couldn't get him, 
though he told me to come past his post. I did, 
and he went with us, leaving the " post " to look 
after itself We were gone some hours, and 
finding no sign of Indians, were returning to 
camp, when on nearing the picket line to leave 
Starr at his post, while passing through a grove 
of scattering trees, we saw four or five of the 
pickets huddled together in a knot, showing 
every indication that they fully believed we were 
Indians. I saw that here was a chance for fun. 
We all wore coats that were lined with red flan- 
nel. I told the boys what I believed the pickets 
thought, and asked them if they wanted some 
fun ; they all said yes. Then said I, " Obey my 
orders and we'll have it." When I was sure we 
were in plain sight of the pickets I ordered a 
halt, and we stood as if watching the pickets for 
a short time, then turned into a gulch, jumped 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 113 

off our horses and turned our coats, this gave us 
the appearance of having red blankets wrapped 
around us. Then remounting we trotted to the 
top of another ridge, stopped, took a hasty look, 
and then, in true Indian style, dashed down the 
sloping hill and indicated that we were trying to 
cut them off from camp, dropping from side to 
side of our horses as we rode at full speed down 
hill. 

This was too much for the pickets ; off they 
started for camp, and we followed, so as to leave 
Starr on his post. The race became a stampede. 
The pickets no doubt thought they must ride 
for their lives ; and, as they passed out of sight 
going into camp, we stopped at Starr's post and 
had our laugh out. Shortly afterward we saw 
mounted men coming from our camp. This 
was more fun ; for we were sure the pickets had 
alarmed the camp, and probably nearly all of the 
company was out after us. This was too good 
to be lost ; so away we went, leaving Starr, and 
completed a circle of the camp. When the 
company came near Starr, he started off in good 
shape, the company after him. This race lasted 
for a mile or so, when some of the pursuers began 
to fire at Starr. This warned Starr that the 
joke had gone far enough; so he pulled up, 
and bawled out, "What the Sam Patch are ye 
shootin' at me for?" The boys, coming up to 



114 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

him, asked wHat he was doing away from his 
post, and what he ran away from them for? He 
answered: "I wasn't runnin' from you; I saw 
you all comin' this way, and I thought you saw 
something — thought I could find it first! " They 
asked him if he had seen any Indians with red 
blankets on ? He said : " No ; did you ? " (with 
a grin). Charley Hand, our second lieutenant, 
coming up at this time, " took a tumble to him- 
self," and said to the men: "There have been 
no Indians here, so march back to camp." 

Starr was relieved from his post, and all came 
to camp, where they found us eating a lunch. 
We asked them where they had been, but received 
no satisfactory answer, as all had become aware 
of the facts in the case by this time. 

We were soon given to understand that a few 
such jokes would go a long ways, and if we 
were not prepared to lick the company, the 
better part of valor would be to keep our mouths 
shut — -for a few days^ at least. We took the 
hint, and looked as serious as a government 
mule after a hard day's drive. Next daj- we 
were furnished (?) with an escort (!) to head- 
quarters (The Dalles), where we were "inter- 
viewed " by a board of examining ofi&cers — a 
sort of flexible court-martial — on a charge of 
causing the company to run their horses down. 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 115 

Seeing that we were about to be disgraced by 
being dishonorably discharged, whereby we 
would have to relinquish all our bright hopes of 
fighting, freezing and starving to death in the 
interests of the "budding Northwest," and for 
the protection of women and children, at a 
dollar a day and furnish our own horses, guns 
and " rigs" (through the mighty effort of Oregon 
congressmen some of us did get a dollar a day 
for what time we served, but it was years after- 
ward), we, of course, felt very bad about it, 
and we made the Honorable Board aware of 
that fact. 

At the request of Major Armstrong, I told our 
side of the case, and when I had concluded, one 
of the of&cers asked me if it was true that some 
of the pickets had used their ra^nrods for horse- 
whips f I answered suavely, " Some of those 
pickets are present ; an examination of their 
ramrods may answer that question." They 
"inspected," and found the rods badly kinked. 
Finally we were turned over to Major Armstrong, 
to be reprimanded. He told us that it was very 
wrong to cause the company's horses to be run 
down, or jaded, unnecessarily, for we had a hard 
and dangerous campaign before us, and much, if 
not all of our success, depended on our horses. 
He hoped we would be more careful in the future, 
and if we should find it necessary to drive in the 



Ii6 Reminiscences of a7i Old Timer, 

pickets, we should be more careful, as we might 
ritJi against the wrong nian^ and he didn't want 
to lose any of us from the command, for he was 
satisfied that if we could run the pickets in we 
could fight if called upon. " Now," said he, " go 
back to your duties, and remember^ you have a 
friend in Major Armstrong^'' (and better one 
men never had). So ended the " court-martial." 



li 



CHAPTER VIII. 

The Indian War of 1855, Continued — Fort Henrietta — 
Scouting — Changes in Thirty Years — Wallula as it Was — 
The Capture of Pu-pu-mox-mox — Almost Entrapped — Whit- 
man, Spaulding and Eels — Whitman Massacre — Doctoring 
Caused it. 

LATE in the fall of 1855 we started for the 
front. Part of the regiment crossed the 
Columbia into the Klickitat and Yakima country, 
and the rest under command of Col. J. K. Kelley 
and Major M. A. Chinn started up the Columbia 
river to the Walla Walla. Our company was with 
the latter division. 

All went well till we arrived at the old emi- 
grant crossing of the Umatilla river, the site of 
the present thriving town of Echo. Here had 
been an agency, and here we built a stockade and 
named it Fort Henrietta. Why this name was 
chosen I am not now able to state, but it was 
probably the name of the sweetheart of some 
young of&cer who had determined to " sacrifice 
himself" in the campaign, and took this method 
of leaving a memento to his " loved and lost 

(117) 



ii8 Remmiscences of an Old Timer. 

Henrietta." Here the command remained a few 
days, to rest the animals and give the scouts time 
to look over the surrounding countr3^ Lint. 
Starr, Dave White and myself crossed the rolling 
prairies, a wilderness of grass. 

Excuse me for " slopping over," but as I recall 
the incidents of '55, and the trials, hardships, 
sufferings, heroism, and fortitude of the boys who 
volunteered to secure immunit}^ from danger to 
those who chose to settle in this portion of the 
Northwest, and realize the changes that have since 
taken place, " I can't write for thinking." The 
Umatilla " meadows," then covered with a thick 
growth of wild r3^e grass taller than a man's 
head on horseback, were settled soon after the 
close of the war, and are now dotted with fine resi- 
dences and out-buildings, orchards, tame meadows 
and wheat fields. The low hills over which we 
rode, through luxuriant bunch-grass, belly deep 
to our horses — at the time believing that it 
would never be utilized for any other pur- 
pose than grazing — are now most all fenced 
in, and fast yielding to the plow-share, every 
acre yielding, when properly tilled, from twenty 
to forty bushels of wheat to the acre. What we 
then denominated a desert is fast becoming the 
garden spot of the world. Thriving farms have 
taken the place of bunch-grass and sage-brush ; 
the spade and hoe outdig the badger, and chil- 



Rcininisce7ices of a7i Old Timer. 119 

dren outcry the ground-owl; the millions of 
sheep that roam the hills furnish our woolen 
mills with the finest texture of wool, and food 
for the frisky Kiota; railroads have been con- 
structed on many of our old trails, and more are 
located on others ; fine towns have succeeded our 
stockades — and developments have only com- 
menced. There is room for 7nore. 

But, to my story. We three crossed over the 
rolling country northward and crossed the Walla 
Walla river about four miles above its mouth, 
near which was old Fort Walla Walla, afterward 
called Wallula. This "fort" consisted of an 
adobe building, constructed by the Hudson Bay 
Company many years before, but abandoned by 
them for some years, they leaving some old iron 
cannon, blunderbusses and some provisions in 
the fort. It being night when we struck the 
river, we worked along down to near its mouth ; 
then, leaving our horses with White, Starr and I 
crept down over the sand-hills till we got near 
the old fort, where we could see Indian camps or 
" lodges." As we had gained all the information 
we came for, we returned to White as noiselessly 
as we went. Mounting our horses, we rode 
slowly for a mile or two, then as rapidly as our 
horses could stand it rode back to Fort Henrietta, 
where we reported what we had seen. A detail 
from each company was made to garrison the 



I20 Remi7iiscences of an Old Tmier. 

fort and look after woru-out liorses, provisions 
and ammunition. The companies, or what was 
left of them — as we had left men at several 
points — numbering all told about two hundred 
and fifty men, started one afternoon for the 
Walla Walla valley via old Fort Wallula. 

Just as day was breaking we came in sight of 
the old fort, and saw several canoe-loads of Indi- 
ans crossing the Columbia. Some of the boys 
rushed down to the beach and fired at them. 
They returned the fire, but the only result was 
wasted ammunition, as neither the whites nor 
Indians had guns that would carry across the 
river at that point. We took a good look at 
the fort, took some pickled pork and one of the 
iron cannons, then went up the Walla Walla river, 
going into camp at the mouth of the Touchet 
(pronounced Too-shy) river. 

. The next morning, leaving a guard with the 
ammunition and provision train, the command 
moved up the Touchet. After going some distance 
up the stream the advance scouts (six or eight 
in number, and of which I was one), in crossing 
the spur of a hill over which the trail led, sud- 
denly met six Indians. We instantly " covered " 
them with our guns, and, being so close to them, 
they dared not attempt to retreat, so they raised 
a flag of truce, and we came up to them. JMany 
of us could talk the Chenooh or jargon (a simple 



Reminiscences of a7i Old Tinner, 121 

language constructed by the Hudson Bay men, 
pronounceable by Indians, and used as a medium 
of conversation between the dififerent tribes, as 
well as between whites and Indians, in the 
Northwest) . 

We soon learned that one of them was no less 
a person than Pu-pu-mox-mox (Little Yellow 
Serpent, or, as history has it. Yellow Bird), the 
leading war chief of all the hostile tribes east of 
the Cascades. The others were members of his 
own tribe, with the exception of one Nez Perces 
(friendly to the whites). 

Mox-mox said his people didn't want to fight 
the " Bostons " (Chenook for white men), but if 
we would go up the stream a-ways, to his camp, 
the Indians would make a treaty of peace. 

We conducted (?) him and his fellows back till 
we met the command and Colonel Kelley, who 
put them under guard, and told Mox-mox he 
would go on up to his camp and treat or fig lit ^ as 
occasion required. 

It was about night-fall as we scouts neared the 
mouth of the Touchet canyon, which was about 
half a mile long, and so narrow at each end that 
not more than three men could enter it abreast, 
though the bottom widened out till there was a 
hundred to two hundred yards of prairie between 
the brush and perpendicular walls. 



122 Reminiscences of an Old Tinzer. 

Nathan Olney (who had married an Indian 
woman, of whose virtues many things could be 
said) was the Indian Agent at The Dalles, and 
accompanied our command. He knew the coun- 
try and the Indians well. Hearing of what had 
happened and been suggested, he came gallop- 
ing up, and said : " Boys, don't you go into that 
canyon to-night! That old scoundrel, Mox-mox, 
has laid a trap for you, and if you go in there, 
there won't be a man left in the morning, and I 
propose to start for The Dalles while I have a 
chance. We told him he had better report his 
belief to Colonel Kelley, and he probably did, 
for we soon received orders to go back down the 
stream a short distance to a nice little bottom, 
which afforded a good position for a fight, and 
camp there. While marching down there, Mox- 
mox and some of his Indians attempted to escape 
by running; but our boys could outfoot them, 
and caught and brought them back to camp, 
where they were closely guarded till morning, 
when we scouts were -again sent forward to see if 
the command could pass through the can3^on. 
On gaining the top of a bluff, we could see that 
there were no Indians in the canyon ; so we pro- 
ceeded to closely examine. It was evident that 
Olney was correct in his surmises, for everything 
indicated that a large body of Indians had been 
there in waiting for us during the night. 



Reminiscences of an Old Tmier. 123 

The command moved up, and after passing 
through the canyon we came to the recent camp 
of the Indians. There were hundreds of lodge 
poles standing from which the rush matting, 
skins and other articles then used by the Indians 
to enclose their wick-i-ups had just been hastily 
stripped, their fires were still burning and there 
were hundreds of the warriors to be seen scattered 
around on the adjacent hills. Here we stopped 
for some time, as the Indians made us know that 
they wanted to speak with us and their chief 
Mox-mox. They came up a few at a time under 
flags of truce, talking with Olney, Kelley, and 
their chief, and finally told us that if we would 
go back to the mouth of Touchet, and thence up 
the Walla Walla to Whitman station, they would 
come in and make a treaty, for tJiey didnH want 
to fight us. 

So we returned to the supply-train, many of 
the boys regretting that they had to forego 
the pleasures (?) of an Indian fight. But those 
of us who had participated in other Indian 
" troubles " were not sorry, but believed we 
would yet have all the fun (?) we could relish, 
and we did. 

The next morning as we moved up the river 
toward Whitman station, our company (Company 
"I"), in ascending a bank of the stream, were 



124 Reminiscences of an Old Tinier. 

greeted (?) by two or three hundred Indians 
mounted on fleet ponies. They formed a circle, 
were riding at their utmost speed yelling and 
shooting at us as they approached, careening 
over on the sides of their horses for shelter from 
our squirrel guns, yagers, " old hammered bar- 
rels," revised flint locks and shotguns. This 
" opened the ball," the Indians maintaining theii 
circulation with the usual accompaniments to 
these friendly rcceptio7is^ and we had a running 
fight from the mouth of Touchet to what is now 
called Frenchtown, some twelve miles below 
what is now Walla Walla City, and about five 
miles below the mouth of Mill creek. 

Whitman station (the Indian name is Wa-eel- 
at-pu) — the scene of the Whitman Massacre, 
which occurred in 1847, I believe — is just above 
the mouth of Mill creek. 

But before proceeding to describe the battle 
at Frenchtown, I must digress some. 

Dr. Marcus Whitman came to the Walla Walla 
valley years before as a missionary. He was 
accompanied by his family, Rev. Eels and family 
and Rev. Spaulding. Dr. Whitman located here, 
Rev. Spaulding on the Lapwai among the Nez 
Perces, and Rev. Eels among the Spokanes. I 
think I am not clear as to the location of Father 
Eels, but I know that to kis energy and devotion 



Remin{sce7ices of an Old Tinier. 125 

belongs the honor and credit of founding and 
erecting the Whitman College, at Walla Walla, 
in memory of the man who with many others 
was foully murdered. 

To Dr. Whitman, it is believed, belongs the 
praise and credit for saving the State of Oregon 
and the Territory of Washington to the United 
States by his timely appearance at the capital, 
and showing the worth of this part of the Pacific 
Coast to the Government. Sure it is that he was 
a great and good man, and that he lies in an un- 
timely grave. A monument to his memory 
(with a cut of which I hope to embellish this 
book) will soon stand out in bold relief as a re- 
minder of the trials, hardships and vicissitudes 
that old timers and pioneers had to pass through 
and suffer before less venturesome but more 
wealthy men could be induced to come forward 
and assist in making two of the finest States in 
the Union. 

Of the massacre at Whitman station, which 
has been thoroughly written up by many able 
writers, who had statistics to assist them in com- 
piling their works, I shall make short mention, 
as I am writing mostly of myself, and of men 
and incidents that came within my own knowl- 
edge. But I shall venture, from time to time, to 
give my opinion on matters that I am forced to 



126 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

speak of, in trying to portray to the reader the 
incidents that occurred prior to my arrival in this 
country, and of circumstances as I remember of 
having heard them related by eye-witnesses a 
few years after their occurrence. 

From the many conversations I have had 
with different survivors of the Whitman family 
(those who were living at the station at the time 
of the massacre) — prominent among whom were 
the Kimball family of four: Mrs. Munson, 
nee Miss Sophia Kimball, Mrs. Wert, nee 
Miss Kimball, and Nathan and Byron Kimball, 
all of whom were my neighbors for some years 
at Shoalwater bay, and each of whom are, I 
believe, now living at Astoria, Oregon — and from 
my own knowledge of the Indians and their super- 
stitions, especially in regard to doctors and being 
doctored^ I am led to give some opinions, and my 
reasons for having formed them. 

It appears that some emigrants, who wintered 
with Doctor Whitman, had the measles ; that the 
Indians contracted the disease ; that Doctor Whit- 
man attended many of them ; that they would 
take }iis prescriptions and then revert to their 
own mode of treatment, which consisted of com- 
ing out of their sweat-houses reeking with sweat, 
and plunging into cold water, and — well! 
"another good Injin," and, as is usually the case, 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 127 

mischief-fnakers saw their opportunity^ and at 
once commenced to inflame the minds of the 
ignorant savages. Some of these mischief- 
makers had been fostered by Doctor Whitman. 
Although they were half-breeds, they persisted in 
their misrepresentations and inflaming the super- 
stitions of the Indians until the latter were 
worked to a pitch of excitement which culmi- 
nated in the fiendish, brutal and hellish atrocities 
that took place at the Whitman mission. 

As Judas had done with his Master, so did 
Whitman's half-breed friends with him, with the 
exception that the one acted from pecuniary 
motives, while the others were prompted by 
prejudice and superstition to commit their 
fiendish crime. 

I do not believe that the representatives of any 
Christian Church would lend aid to or counte- 
nance so damnable an outrage, nor do I believe 
there is a particle of evidence that would lead a 
reasonably intelligent and unbiased mind to think 
they did. 

I will say that it is well known among old 
pioneers, who have had any considerable acquaint- 
ance with the Indian modes and habits of 
doctoring among themselves, that when a 
" medicine man " loses a considerable number 
of patients he is held responsible, and not 



128 Reminisce7ices of an Old Timer. 

uufrequently his life atones for the offense of 
having failed to cure. 

And the fact of Whitman having prescribed 
for what to them was a new and strange disease, 
and the fatal results following because of their 
own ignorance, led to the dreadful scenes at 
Whitman station on that fatal day. 

But I must return to the fig-ht. 



CHAPTER IX. 

The Battle of Walla Walla — A Four-days' Fight — Indian 
Warfare — First Blood — A Man for a Horse — The Battle- 
Ground — A Captain 's Ardor Cooled with Lead — " I 'm 
Killed too Dead to Skin " — All on Account of the Flag — 
The Proper Time to Come To — A Hand-to-Hand Struggle — 
They Killed Yellow Snake—" Murdered a Friendly Chief ' ' 
— Pope Paraphrased — -Colonel Kelley's Question An- 
swered by a Bullet — Elkskin Protects the Backbone — A 
Fatal "Bust " — Up a Tree — Bunch-grass Hats — Knocked 
Out by a Dying Medicine Man — "Nick" "Raised His 
Har " — Ambushed and Scalped — Governor I. I. Stevens. 

WHEN we were first attacked, at the moutli 
of tlie Toucliet, I was riding a pon}^ tHat 
couldn't have outrun a cow ; and, not wishing to 
be the Jiindmost fnan in case of a possible retreat^ 
I stopped to change the pony for my fast mare, 
which I rode only when I thought a hard or 
fast ride might be necessary. Lint. Starr and 
Dave White stopped with me, though they were 
"eager for the fray," as a charge had been or- 
dered. It took me but a minute or two to change 
my " rig " to the mare ; then forward we dashed, 
' (129) 



130 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

and overtook tlie foremost of the coramand, which 
position we maintained. 

Just before we came to the mouth of Dry 
Creek, we noticed one of our boys (Addington 
by name) dashing ahead, and almost among the 
Indians. We were satisfied that Addington had 
lost control of the high-spirited horse he was 
riding, and that if some one didn't get to him 
quick, he would lose his hair ; so we gave rein. 
My mare was the fleetest, and I thought I never 
knew her to do better work than she did then, as 
she bounded over the sage-brush and badger-holes 
to the rescue of Addington. Just as I reached 
him an Indian either knocked or punched him 
off his horse,. The Indians gained a horse, but 
lost a brave. Addington was not lost, for the 
rest of the command came galloping up as fast 
as they could. 

At the mouth of Dr}^ Creek the Indians made 
a stand on a high knoll, and were setting the 
grass on fire, when some of the boys dashed 
through the bushes and into their midst, while 
others had gone around the knoll, thus forcing 
them to a still further retreat, which they con- 
tinued on to Frenchtown, as before stated. Here 
they had arranged for the final struggle. Ten 
or twelve hundred Indians were posted in the 
timber along the river and across the valley to 
the foothills. Coming up, we saw at once that 



Remiiiisccnces of an Old Timer. 131 

the retreat had ended, and the fight must begin 
in earnest. A point of brush that extended out 
into the flat some distance, and a fence that a 
Frenchman had built around a cabin and piece 
of bottom land, afforded the only shelter for our 
men ; and behind these they took position as fast 
as they came up, dismounted and secured their 
horses. At the mouth of Dry Creek I came up 
to Elliott, who was carrying our company flag. 
He said : 

" Take this flag and carry it to the front, my 
horse is played out." No sooner said than done. 
I caught the flag and in company with Starr and 
White came up to the point of brush where sixty 
or seventy of the boys had already arrived and 
taken their stands, and were sustaining a heavy 
fire. 

I found a short chunk or piece that had been 
cut off an alder log, this I picked up and carried 
out a few steps from the point where I threw it 
down, and having driven the spear of the flag- 
staff into the ground by it so the rest of the 
company could see where our men were as they 
came up, I lay down behind the chunk and kept 
my head close to the ground, for the bullets were 
whizzing uncomfortably near me. 

I had lain there but a few moments when our 
captain (Munson) dashed up on a fine black 
horse that he had succeeded in " drawing " from 



132 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

the government, and dismounting, he let go of 
the horse, jerked up the flag, and without looking 
to see whether there was one or fifty of his men 
around him, or whether there was a hundred or 
ten thousand Indians in front, rushed wildly for- 
ward waving the flag over his head and shouting 
''''Company /, charge ! " Forward he went on foot, 
his horse having already gone to the Indians. 

Not more than seven or eight of his company 
had yet come up, but those present were not to 
be outdone by their captain, so they charged with 
him. I having, as is related in a previous chapter, 
been caught out in open ground by Indians, didn't 
relish the movement, and for a moment I played 
that I hadnU got there yet. But as Starr, White and 
some of the other boys charged with the captain, 
I saw that I must " face the music," so I cJiarged 
rather slowly^ I admit. When we got thirty or forty 
yards from the bushes the Indians raised from 
behind the sage-brush and other objects that up 
to this time had concealed them, and opened fire 
full upon us. About this time Sergeant-Major 
Miller came up and ordered a retreat. This left 
our little band in a tight place, but, as luck would 
have it, at that moment Captain Munson got shot 
in the arm, which caused him to drop the flag and 
retreat (he had probably gained glory enough 
for one day). When we turned to run I was, of 
course, in the lead, but turning around to see who 



Remi7iiscences of a)i Old Timer. 133 

had the flag, I realized that it was being left, and 
before I had taken the second thought I had run 
back, picked up the flag, and then I guess I did 
some of the finest running that a scared man 
ever did in Walla Walla valley. Owing to bad 
marksmanship or something else I reached the 
fence, when a rifle-ball grazed my temple, barely 
drawing blood, and scaring me so bad that I fell 
down, got up, fell down again, and finally found 
myself in the hands of Starr and White, who 
were trying to get my hands from my head and 
asking if I was badly hurt. I told them / was 
killed too dead to skin^ and from the sight of a 
few drops of blood and the feeling of my temple 
I thought I was. 

The boys got my hands down, and seeing I 
was only scratched, and not hurt a bit, they 7nade 
me know I was alive. 

Our men seeing the danger in leaving the 
point of brush, came back and met the Indians 
hand-to-hand, with knives, pistols and guns„ and 
taught them to keep at a more respectful dis- 
tance. 

As soon as I saw that our men had driven the 
Indians out of the brush, I " came to," and helped 
care for our wounded and dead. There were 
five or six killed [besides Tne)^ and twelve or 
fifteen wounded. Among the killed was my 



134 Remmiscences of an Old Timer. 

young friend, Lieutenant Burrows, wlio fell by 
my side. I believe lie was from Linn county. 

A more determined struggle than tliis, at the 
point of timber, was scarcely ever made in the 
Northwest. The Indians seemed determined to 
hold the point of brush after they had gained 
it, and convert the short retreat into a stampede, 
but they had to deal with men of equal determin- 
ation, who saw the value of taking and holding 
the point of advantage. Many were the inci- 
dents of bravery exhibited by volunteers and 
Indians on this the first day of the battle of 
Walla Walla, or Frenchtown. 

About this time the rest of the command came 
up with the supply-train and the Indian prison- 
ers, and encamped at the cabin before mentioned 
— the cabin we used for a hospital. 

We were all convinced that Chief Mox-Mox 
had all the time been planning our destruction, 
and demonstrations plainly showed that he had 
ordered this fight and wanted to escape from us. 
So, while the guards were forming camp, they 
concluded to tie the prisoners. The Nez Perces 
proved to be friendly, and requested to be tied ; 
but one of the others, " Wolf-skin " by name, 
jerked out a knife he had concealed, and stabbed 
Sergeant-Major Miller in the arm, when the 
others attempted to escape. This settled it, and 
all but the Nez Perces were killed. 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 135 

There have been several versions of this 
so-called "butchery of prisoners," but I am 
satisfied that the above is correct; that the boys 
were justified under the circumstances; and 
that, if the same principle had actuated our 
regular soldiers that did our command at that 
time, and Wright's command at Spokane, later, 
there never would have occurred the Nez Perce 
war of ''']']^ or the Bannack war of '78. 

Ambuscade, treachery, torture and sneak are 
the components of the Indian, and fear is the 
only civilizing element that will bear heavily 
on him. 

It is related that when Governor I. I. Stevens 
and some other representative men from this 
country were trying to obtain some remuneration 
from the government for the services of the vol- 
unteers during the Indian war of 1855-56, a rep- 
resentative from some one of the Bastern States 
opposed the bill, and during the course of his 
remarks said that the volunteers under Colonels 
Cornelius and Kelley had " murdered a friendly 
chief, who had come and delivered himself up." 
This " fine-haired man of the Hast " had prob- 
ably never seen an Indian, and knew nothing of 
the hellish work they did when on the war-path. 
He said, "It would not have appeared so bad if 
the volunteers had served the ' Yellov,^ Serpent ' 
(or "Yellow Bird"), the head chief of the hostiles, 



136 Reminisce7tces of an Old Timer. 

as they did Pu-Pu-Mox-Mox" — not knowing tliat 
"Yellow Serpent" and Pu-Pn-Mox-Mox were one 
and the same person, and that person a combined 
snake and viper. 

As has been the case in nearly all the frontier 
Indian wars, the volunteers, who bared their 
breasts to the bullets and other missiles of 
hostile Indians, were traduced, and their remuner- 
ation retarded, by such ignoramuses and Cooper 
Indian lovers. 

The man who wrote: 

"lyo! the poor Indian, 
Whose untutored mind 
Sees God in clouds 
And hears him in the wind; " 

Should have rendered it : 

' ' Low ! the poor Indian, 
With his untutored mind, 
Clothes him up before. 
And leaves him bare behind. ' ' 

While I do not fall out with other writers, I 
will say that almost a lifetime spent among the 
Northwestern Indians, and noting the progress of 
their civilization under the Governmental system 
of reservations, red blankets and dishonest agents, 
has led me to the conclusion that churches and 
preachers have caused more destruction of prop- 
erty, misery, torture and loss of life than all 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 137 

other acts combined instead of agencies and 
agents, forts, soldiers and school-houses, inter- 
spersed with gunpowder, Miles and Crooks 
(and of the latter plenty) . For it is a well-known 
fact among pioneers, that firmness with a dis- 
play of power has been the only civilizer that 
has proved effective among our western tribes. 

I don't believe there is a single instance of a 
tribe of these Indians having been civilized to 
any extent until they were first thoroughly sub- 
dued, either by soldiers or volunteers. 

But to "resume the fight." Col. Kelley soon 
came on to the grounds, and as it was plain that 
we had a large contract on hand, he posted our 
men, and had rifle pits dug across the flat and to 
the foot of the hill. During the rest of the first 
day we fought from our rifle pits and behind trees 
and bushes. About half a mile above our hospital 
cabin and camp was another cabin which the In- 
dians occupied. Along toward evening the cap- 
tain of one of the companies brought up the can- 
non we had taken from Fort Wallula, and trained 
it on this cabin, but after two or three shots were 
fired the gun burst, killing or wounding two or 
three. I believe the captain was one of the num- 
ber. 

Late that evening, while I was assisting in 
bringing a wounded man in from our extreme 
right in the timber, I overheard Starr telling 



138 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

White that he would be " continentally goug- 
ered" (his only cuss- word) if he didn't find 
George, if it took him all night. Upon my calling 
to them, Starr came forward, and I asked, " What's 
the rumpus, that you're so anxious to find me ! " 
He said that one of Company H's men had 
told him he had seen the scout Hunter fall, 
and he. thought he was killed. He had probably 
seen me at the fence with the flag, when scared 
to death. I will here state that the next morning 
I tefiderly put that flag in its cover, and hid it in 
a pile of rails where it remained till after the 
battle. It having been perforated with bullets, 
we sent it home for repairs, being convinced that 
flags and Indian fighting didn't run in the same 
channel. 

An anecdote was told of Col. Kelley on this 
first day of the fight. He being very near-sight- 
ed, came on to the field, and looking over the 
sage brush, asked agent Olney if those were In- 
dians over there ! Before Olney could reply, a 
bullet passed close to the Colonel's ear. This 
seemed to be a satisfactory answer, and he and 
Olney withdrew, thinking, no doubt, that the 
rear was the most healthy place. 

Colonel Kelley was regarded by all of us as a 
brave and efficient officer, and a good, kind-hearted 
man. Major Chinn was not so well liked. 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 139 

The whites and Indians camped about half a 
mile apart during the battle. The night of the 
first day the Indians fired into our camp, causing 
us to extinguish our fires. Some of us returned 
their salute the next night by throwing some 
lead into their camps. 

The morning of the second day, after we had 
breakfasted, we found that the Indians had 
already got into some of our rifle pits, and seemed 
disposed to remain there, but they changed their 
minds and took a back seat when our boys came 
up on double-quick. Then guns and revolvers were 
soon emptied, and so were the rifle pits. Then 
the scenes and routine of the day before were re- 
enacted with slight diversification. We could 
drive them but a short distance, when they would 
flank us, and we would have to fall back to our 
rifle pits and point of brush to protect our camp. 
We kept twenty or thirty mounted skirmishers 
on our extreme left to prevent their flanking us, 
our right being protected by the river and timber. 
They also kept skirmishers on their right, as their 
left was on the river. 

In the afternoon of the second day I was in the 
timber with several others of our company. The 
command was scattered out, ten or twelve in a 
place clear across the flat, and when the Indians 
would advance on any one point the others would 
rally to their help. Whilst in the timber we were 



140 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

under a heavy fire, but could only see the smoke 
from their guns, and they were shooting close. 
There being a large alder tree near me, I climbed 
some twenty feet up it to its fork, which enabled 
me to overlook the ground occupied by the hostiles. 
I soon discovered that the Indians had grass on 
their heads and backs. 

I told the men that the Indians had grass caps 
on their heads, and when they saw the grass raise 
they should aim just under it. 

It was but a short time until the grass caps 
commenced flying; then the Indians made a rush 
for the point I was at, and our men, in accordance 
with orders, started to fall back to the next squad, 
when some one called out, " Stop boys ! Hun- 
ter is in the tree yet." But I was not there long, 
I can assure you, for I tumbled down regardless 
of limbs or clothing. Suf&ce it to say they didn't 
get me, and I had enough of the tree game. 

On the third day, I was out near the foot-hills, 
in company with some Wasco boys. We would 
leave our pits and crawl to the top of a ridge and 
lie in wait. The Indians were doing the same 
thing on another ridge a hundred yards or so in 
front of us. We would exchange shots and then 
fall back out of sight to reload. One of the 
Wasco boys wore a heavy elk-skin coat, and on 
one occasion as he was crawling to the top of the 
ridge, keeping his head lower than his back, 



Reniiniscences of an Old Timer. 141 

a ball struck him on the back and glanced 
along the coat, making a crease that looked as 
though a hot iron had been drawn along on it — 
a close call, but the Hlk skin saved a good man. 
On the fourth and last day, I was on horse back 
with some twenty of our company, under com- 
mand of Lieut. Hand, the most of the time. The 
Indians in front of us would ride up to within 
one or two hundred yards, and fire, then circle 
away. It appears that two of the boys that we 
had left at Henrietta had gone out to look after 
the horses, when the Indians came upon them, 
and killed and scalped them. And one of these 
scalps was being shaken at us by the Indians in 
front of us. Seeing this, I told the boys that if I 
could get near enough to an Indian I would take 
a scalp to get even. 

During the day an Indian, a medicine man, 
would ride close to us, turning, twisting and 
shaking a feathered stick or baton, urging the 
other Indians on to fight. But he came around 
once too often, for, I with some others, had dis- 
mounted, and as he made his last round the horse 
and rider both went to grass at the crack of our 
guns. With drawn knife I rushed for him, as 
did all the others, both afoot and on horse, but as 
I stooped to grasp his hair he gave me his dying 
look. That look settled it with me ! I gave the 
knife to "Nick" Belcher, who made short work 



142 Reminiscences of an Old Timer, 

of " lifting his hair." This was the first and last 
Indian that I ever attempted to scalp. 

Along in the afternoon of that fourth day 
word was passed along the lines to hold our fire, 
as our ammunition was running short. But about 
four o'clock an escort arrived with plenty of am- 
munition. 

That night the Indians gave it up and left the 
field in our possession. 

A day or two after the battle at Frenchtown, 
Governor I. I. Stevens, with about twenty other 
white men, escorted by about a hundred of the 
friendly Nez Perces (pronounced "Na-percy"), 
came into our camp. 

The governor, with his party, had been out 
among the Flathead and Blackfoot Indians, 
making treaties, I believe. 

He said he thought our fight had saved his 
party. This assertion he repeated many times 
in the halls of Congress, while trying to secure 
remuneration for us. 



CHAPTER X. 

The Indian War of 1855-56, Continued — A Thin Bill of Fare — 
A "Larder" Augments the Larder — As a Courier — A 
Scouting Party that Prefers Horses Spring a Well-baited 
Indian Trap and Have a Lively Run — ' ' Assisting ' ' a 
Tired Horse, and How the " Pills Operated" — Disabled 
and Furloughed — The Volunteers Discharged — United 
States Troops Defeated — Colonel Wright's Equine Bone- 
Yard— The Close of the War— The Results— The First 
bona fide Settlers, and Their Experience. 

AFTER the battle, I, in company with four 
or five others — one of whom was Nathan 
Olney — started to The Dalles with dispatches. 
The snow was about six inches deep, and it was 
still falling. Our outfit of provisions for this 
two-hundred-mile journey in the snow consisted 
of about ten pounds of parched corn. The com- 
mand had been short of provisions for some 
time, depending mostly upon the cattle we found 
among the hills and along the creeks. We had 
found some Indian caches (deposits) near the 
battle-ground, in which were some corn and pota- 
toes, which we relished greatly. 

(143) 



144 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

We went that day to McKay Creek, and camped 
near McKay's house. We found a shoat in the 
bushes near by, and that pig was soon dead, 
skinned, and in our camp-kettles, with some dried 
peas we had found cached ; so we had a fine 
supper and breakfast of pork and peas. We 
reached The Dalles all right. I remained there 
but a da}^ or two, when I got a change of horses, 
and, in company with Starr, returned to the 
command on the Walla Walla. 

We found that the Indians were making for 
Snake River, to cross at the mouth of Tukanon. 

One morning, when the command was at or 
near the present site of Walla Walla City, Lint. 
Starr, Dave White, Elliott, and one or two others 
proposed that we should go out toward the 
Touchet and Tukanon, and see if we could find 
any Indians, or, more particularly, Indian horses 
for a change, as ours were prett3^ well jaded. 
Having obtained permission, away we went, 
nothing occurring till we had traveled twelve or 
fifteen miles, when we saw quite a band of Indian 
ponies in a gulch about a mile from us. They 
seemed to be feeding near a small patch of wil- 
lows and small trees. " There they are," said 
some of the boys ; " let's go for 'em ! " " Hold 
on," said I. " I don't like the idea of those horses 
being so near the brush ; they seem to have been 
driven or ridden there lately." The}'' all laughed 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 145 

at my notion ; and Starr asked when I had 
learned so much caution ? " Well," said I, " I 
believe there are Indians with concealed horses 
in those bushes, and that those horses are left 
out there for a bait for us ; but if you will listen to 
me we will try for them." This was agreed to. I 
told them if there proved to be Indians in there 
they should jump their horses into a deep ravine, 
near which the Indian horses were grazing, and 
follow that till out of gunshot of the bushes be- 
fore starting for the hills again. 

So, after the horses we went. When we got 
within a few hundred yards of them we started 
at full speed, yelling at the same time to stam- 
pede the herd. Just then guns commenced 
cracking in the brush, and out came about 
twenty mounted Indians. It was just as I had 
surmised. 

They had set a trap for us and were springing 
it, but they were a little premature, for they fired 
before we were close enough for them to make 
sure work on us. 

The gulch was but a few rods from us, and 
into that we went, out of sight of the red devils, 
and then commenced a race. We ran down the 
gully a few hundred yards, and across a flat or 
bottom for a mile or so. When we struck this 
flat we were four or five hundred yards ahead of 
the Indians, and our horses could outrun their 



146 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

ponies, but as we neared the foot-hills I looked 
back — being one of the head men in the race — 
and to my horror saw that Lint.'s horse had 
" thrown up," or was weakening, and Lint, was 
spurring for all that was out. I saw at a glance 
that if something wasn't done mighty quick 
Lint, was a "gone sucker." So I told the rest of 
the boys to ride over the top of the ridge, out of 
sight, and jump off, take the ends of their riatas 
in their hands and crawl back nearly to the top 
and wait till Lint, and I passed, then to bang 
away at the redskins and check them, so as to 
give Starr a chance to get ahead. All the rest 
of us were well mounted, and could easily outrun 
the Indians. I then held my mare back to give 
her the appearance of having given out, and let 
Starr overtake me. I had a heavy, bone-handled, 
Indian riding-whip (these are made by boring 
into the end of a handle, and fastening in two or 
more rawhide-thongs ; they are a formidable 
weapon against horse or man) . As Lint, came 
alongside of me he asked, " Has your mare 
thrown up the sponge, too?" "No," I rejDlied, 
and leaning over, I brought the whip down over 
the loins and into the flanks of his horse. A 
few doses of this medicine infused new life into 
the animal for awhile, but I knew it couldn't 
last long. 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 147 

As we rode up the sloping hill I hurriedly 
told him the plan I laid to give his tired horse 
the start. He insisted on stopping with the 
boys, but I soon made him know that would 
endanger the whole of us. So he " gave in," 
and as vv^e passed over the ridge, out of sight of 
the Indians, I jumped off my mare, and was 
with the other boys in a moment, while Lint, 
went on. I had barely time to get laid down 
with the boys at the crest of the ridge, when 
the Indians came galloping up the hill full upon 
us. Five or six rifles rang out, followed by a 
fusilade from navy revolvers. As this was not 
down in the Indian guide-books, they went down 
the hill faster than they had come up, some 
being dragged by the heels (they were tied on 
their horses) , others reeling in their saddles and 
giving every evidence that the pills we had 
administered were operating. Three or four of 
their ponies fell before going far, and their riders 
scampered off on foot. 

We didn't stop long to enjoy their movements, 
although they were pleasing to us, but we jumped 
on to our horses, and away we went after Starr, 
soon overtook him, and told him the result of 
our tactics. After awhile we saw some of the 
Indians come over the ridge half a mile from 
where we had crossed it, but they didn't attempt 



148 Reminiscences of a7i Old Timer. 

to follow us, and we liad had all tlie horse-hunt 
we wanted for that day. 

Soon after this, Starr, White and myself went 
to The Dalles with more dispatches. On this trip 
my horse fell over a bluff with me, bruising my 
hip so badly that when I arrived at The Dalles 
Major Armstrong granted me a furlough and 
allowed Starr and White to accompany me home, 
as we were told that there were now regular 
troops in the field sufi&cient to cope with the 
Indians, and that the volunteers would be dis- 
charged and sent back to the Willamette valley 
as fast as they came into The Dalles ; and they 
were. 

I returned home to Corvallis, accompanied by 
Starr and White, for I knew I wouldn't be able 
to ride for a month. 

In the spring of ''(^(i the government troops 
under command of Colonel Steptoe and Major 
Luginbeale took the field, followed the Indians 
across Snake river, and met with a disastrous 
defeat near the two buttes afterward known as 
Steptoe and Kamiacken (the latter for the chief 
who licked Steptoe). They retreated and crossed 
Snake river at the mouth of Turkanon, where 
they built a stone corral or fort that they named 
Fort Taylor, the site of what was afterwards 
Grange City, mention of which will be made 
hereafter. 



Remifiiscences of an Old Timer. 149 

Soon after this defeat Colonel Wright took 
command and moved into Spokane prairie in 
pursuit of the hostiles. Here Colonel Wright 
distinguished himself as a practical Indian 
fighter, and established the famous boneyard by- 
gathering up all the Indian ponies he could and 
shooting many hundreds of them, thus breaking 
the hearts of the redskins and ending the war, 
as "poor Lo" don't fancy traveling on foot. 

The close of this war resulted in locating the 
most of the tribes and bands of Indians on reser- 
vations. And many stock-men soon came into 
the Walla Walla valley or basin, as the country 
embracing the John Day, Umatilla, Walla Walla, 
Touchet, Snake river, Palouse, Hangman, Crab 
creek, Spokane and Colville sections — in short, 
that portion of the country lying east of the 
Cascade mountains, south and east of the 
Columbia river and west of the Blue, Coeiir 
D'Alene andPendO'Rille mountains — was called, 
while that portion of Washington lying east 
of the Cascades and north and west of the 
Columbia was known as the Klickitat and Yakima 
country. All of which was thought to be the 
finest grazing land in the United States, but 
from its high, rolling nature, dry summers and 
alkaline soil it was supposed to be unavailable 
for agricultural purposes, except along the nar- 
row valleys or bottoms of the small streams. 



150 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

That portion known as the Walla Walla coun- 
try is about 300 miles long by 75 in width, while 
the Yakima and Kllickitat country is perhaps 
200 miles in length and averages 70 miles in 
width. 

These two great sections of country were 
used by the few white settlers for pastoral 
purposes only, up to i860, when mines were 
being discovered in the surrounding mountains, 
and thousands of gold seekers and ranchers 
flocked in from every quarter, and the Walla 
Walla country became the base of supplies, as 
the Oregon Steam Navigation Company put 
boats on to the Upper Columbia and Snake 
rivers, and constructed portages around the 
impassable falls and rapids, and transported to 
the towns and landings along the river such 
necessary supplies as were not produced in 
this valley. From these points along the 
river the supplies were loaded on to wagons 
and pack animals and forwarded to their desti- 
nation. 

Finally the new-comers began experimenting 
with the different grains, vegetables, fruits, etc., 
and met with flattering success on all soils 
tested. They soon demonstrated that .what had 
been thought a desert was a fertile field un- 
equaled in the United States, and probably not 
in the world. 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 151 

But tHe lack of cheap transportation retarded 
its development. The early settlers had to pay 
from $60 to $150 per ton up-river freights (less 
than 300 miles), and the first surplus for ex- 
port cost twelve to sixteen dollars per ton. Yet 
the pioneer farmers lived and thrived slowly, 
which would have proven very difi&cult in any 
other country under like circumstances. 

Our uniformly mild climate enabled the early 
stock-raisers to conduct their business at a com- 
paratively light expense, as not one winter in 
ten did stock require any feeding. 

True, an occasional winter was denominated a 
" cow-killer," and very many of the cattle died, 
yet on the average the losses of stock would not 
have offset the annual expense of providing feed. 

The foregoing is about as brief a history as I 
can write of the early settlement of the great 
Walla Walla basin, upon which the eyes of the 
United States and Europe are fixed with wonder 
and admiration. 



CHAPTER XI. 

Selling Mining Ground— The '"Forty-Nine Song"— Off for 
the Sandwich Islands — Switched Off to Shoalwater — 
"The Bear Was Scared, I Wasn 't " — Four Elk Out of 
One Band — ' ' Heap Eat Meat, no Sick " — "A Close Call ' ' 
by a Mountain Wolf — Married to a Minister's Daughter — 
As Sheriff of Pacific County, W. T. — The Arrest of a 
Desperate Man — A Gun with a Big Bore — Suicide of the 
Prisoner — Recovering the ' ' Bracelets ' ' — As Lighthouse 
Keeper — "Froze Out and Busted." 

SOON after my return home to Corvallis I 
was again able to ride. I mounted my horse 
and went to Yreka and Humbug ; sold my min- 
ing ground to my partner (Study) ; then returned 
to the Willamette valley for medical treatment 
and a mother's care. 

Before we bid adieu to the California mines I 
must give some verses that were composed by a 
miner, and proved very popular in those days, 
on account of their appropriateness to the men 
mentioned and their mode of living. I, especially, 

(152) 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 153 

enjoyed it, because I was acquainted with some 
of those whose names are mentioned : 



"THE DAYS OF 'FORTY-NINE. 

' ' You are gazing now at Old Tom Moore — a relic of by-gone 

days ; 
A bummer now they call me sure, but I 'm not fond of praise : 
My heart is light, I make it so, yet oft I do repine 
For the days of old, the days of gold, the days of 'Forty-nine. 

" I then had friends that loved me well — a jovial and hearty 

crew ; 
There were some hard cases, I must confess, yet they were 

brave and true ; 
They stood the pinch ; they'd never flinch ; they'd never fret 

nor whine ; 
Like good old bricks, they stood the kicks in the days of 

'Forty-nine. 

" There was New York Jake, the 'Butcher Boy,' so fond of 

getting tight ; 
And whenever Jake got on a spree, he was spoiling for a fight. 
One night Jake ran against a knife in the hands of old Bob 

Cline, 
And over Jake we held a wake in the days of 'Forty-nine. 

" There was Monte Pete — I remember well the luck he always 

had; 
He'd deal for you, both night and day, and as long as you 

had a red. 
One day a bullet laid Pete out ; 'twas his last lay-out, in fine ; 
For it caught Pete, sure, dead in the door, in the days of 

'Forty-nine. 



154 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

" There was BuflFalo Bill, who could oiitroar a Buffalo bull, 
you bet ; 

He'd roar all day, and he'd roar all night, and I guess he's 
roaring yet. 

One night Bill fell in a prospect hole; 'twas a roaring bad 
design. 

For in that hole Bill roared up his soul, in the days of 'Forty- 
nine. 

" There was Poker Bob; I knew him well — so fond of a little 

game, 
And if he lost, or if he won, to Bob 'twas all the same ; 
He'd rush the buck and ante a slug, and go a hat-full blind. 
But in a game with death Bob lost his breath, in the days of 

'Forty-nine. 

' ' There was old lame Jess, a hard old case ; he never would 
repent. 

He never was known to miss a meal, nor never to pay a cent. 

But poor old Jess, like all the rest, to death he did resign, 

And in his bloom went up the flume in the days of 'Forty- 
nine. 

" Of all the friends that I had then, there is none now left to 
toast. 

They have left me here to wander alone like some poor wander- 
ing ghost. 

And as I wander from place to place, they call me a wandering 
sign, 

Saying, 'There's old Moore, a bummer, sure, of the days of 
'Forty-nine.' ' ' 

They were all good boys, but, like Jo Bowers' 
money, " all went." 

After doctoring for some months I got tired of 
being a walking apothecary shop, and in com- 



Remi7iiscences of an Old Timer. 155 

pany with a friend started for the SandwicH 
Islands, but on arrival at Portland we fell in with 
an old friend who had served with me in the last 
Indian war, a marble cutter named A. B. Robberts. 
He gave us such a glowing account of Shoal- 
water or Oyster bay that we determined to visit 
that place for awhile. The bay is about thirty- 
seven miles north of the mouth of Columbia 
river, and is a beautiful sheet of water as it 
nestles back inland, and is almost surrounded by 
high mountains covered with heavy timber, ex- 
cepting the south side, which forms a peninsula 
of flat and low lands covered with timber, inter- 
spersed with small fresh water lakes and cran- 
berry marshes. This peninsula, or that portion 
of it that fronts the ocean, is called the weather 
beach. When the tide is out this beach is probably 
the finest drive in the world for a distance of 
twenty-five or thirty miles. The beach is fringed 
or bordered with rolling prairie from a few hun- 
dred yards to a mile wide back to the timber or 
marshes. 

At Astoria we met Colonel H. K. Stevens, 
Major Bspey, Edward Loomis and I. A. Clark, 
of Oysterville, on Shoal water bay. In company 
with these gentlemen we went to Oysterville, 
where I remained some years. As I soon regained 
my health, I was joined by my brother and we 



156 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

engaged in the oyster business, wHicli was then 
proving lucrative. 

While here I joined the Masonic fraternity at 
Astoria (Temple Lodge No. 7, of Oregon), the 
nearest lodge to the bay at that time. 

Game was plenty near the bay, and being 
passionately fond of hunting, I frequently went 
in quest of deer, elk and bear, sometimes alone 
sometimes with some white friends, sometimes 
with Indians of whom I had made friends. 

One night while a party of us were working on 
the oyster beds one Wilson remarked that there 
were plenty of bear coming out of the mountains 
and along the Palix river, near the mouth of 
which we were oystering, and that he was going 
out next morning to kill one. I proposed that 
I would go on one side of the stream and he on 
the other, early next morning, and the one who 
killed a bear should give the other a hind quar- 
ter. This was agreed to, and on meeting at the 
oyster ground the next night by agreement each 
had a fat quarter of bear meat for the other. 
Here was a stand-off! We gave our surplus 
"bar " meat to friends, had a hearty laugh about 
the coincidence, and resumed our occupation. 

At another time I was engaged with my 
brother and others in planting, taking small 
oysters from the natural beds, culling and bed- 
ding them on beds prepared for their cultivation 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 157 

further up the bay. We owned a fine sloop of 
fifteen tons, which we used for this purpose. We 
had sailed up the bay some fifteen miles, and 
came to anchor at or near high tide to await low 
water, so we could work. I told my brother that 
if he and some of the men would put me ashore 
I would take a hunt, as we had a gun on board. 
Knowing the gun was loaded, I didn't stop to 
examine it, but "struck out" on my hunt- as 
soon as they landed me. Before I had gone many 
yards I saw a big black bear quietly feeding on 
a crab that had been washed ashore by the tide. 
Taking a hasty survey, I saw a large tree which 
had been blown down leaving its torn up roots 
spreading out wide, and as it didn't seem to be 
far from the bear, I crawled out from the bay 
toward the timber till this root was well in line 
between me and Bruin. Then, snake-like, I 
crawled forward, never raising my head till I 
reached the root, when to my surprise I found 
myself within forty feet of his bearship. Care- 
fully thrusting my gun through the tangled 
roots, I took deliberate aim at his heart and 
pulled the trigger ; the result was a spat and a 
fizz. The gun had become wet with bilge-water. 
To pick powder into the tube, re-cap, and aim at 
his head, was the work of a moment ; this time it 
was " snap, fizz-z-z." 



158 Reminiscences of an Old Tmier. 

My first snap had aroused the bear, and lie 
had reared on his haunches and was looking for 
the cause of the noise. At the second snap I 
jumped up and was about to smash the gun 
over the log, when the bear, not having seen me, 
started toward me. I threw the gun and started 
for the timber, some hundred yards or so distant. 
It had been thought that the lumbering business 
would soon pay there, and I had a mind to 
examine some of the trees. Being in something 
of a hurry, I didn't look back till I got to them, 
and then only to see Bruin entering the timber 
several hundred yards below me. It appears 
that when he saw me he made off in another 
direction as fast as I was going in mine. 

And this would have been all right (as I was 
not scared) if the boys on the sloop had not 
discovered the bear about the same time that I 
did, and witnessed the whole performance. Dis- 
gusted, I returned to the sloop and received a 
most unmerciful chafB.ng from my brother and 
the others. 

At another time, some white men and myself 
concluded to go on a hunting and exploring tour 
up the river Nacell, which has its source far up 
in the mountains. We engaged some Indians 
to go with us as guides, and, taking them in 
their canoes in tow, we sailed up the stream as 
far as we could go with the sloop, then took the 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 159 

canoes and proceeded some miles further, finally- 
landed, and proceeded on foot through the tim- 
ber and tangled salal bushes, following elk-trails 
the most of the time. After traveling some 
hours we came to a cranberry-marsh, and dis- 
covered a band of elk quietly feeding. Getting 
near enough, we fired on them, and succeeded in 
killing four before they got out of our range. 
We dressed them, and as night was coming on, 
we camped where we were, all in the best of 
humor. 

One of the elks killed was a small yearling ; 
from this we cut portions and cooked it on sticks 
before the fire for our suppers. Soon the whites 
and Indians were eating and joking, as we all 
understood the Indian dialect sufficiently for the 
purpose. 

Soon the whites had appeased their hunger. 
Not so the Indians, for they cooked, ate and 
jabbered — jabbered, ate and cooked, all night. 
Toward morning we found them roasting the 
bones, then breaking them and sucking the 
marrow. One of them, an old chief, " Toman-a- 
mus," said to me, "Injin heap eat meat! heap 
eat glease ! no sick ! Cum-tux ? " (understand ?) . 
In fact, these Indians had eaten nearly all of 
that year-old elk during the night. 

Morning coming, the Indians loaded them- 
iSeives with the meat, and we started for the 



i6o Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

canoes, witH a fellow named Stout leading, 
myself next, and the others following. We 
were following an elk-trail winding around 
through the brush when, at a sharp curve in the 
trail, I saw a large gray mountain-wolf just in 
the act of springing upon Stout. To see was to 
act, and at the crack of my rifle Stout staggered 
into the brush, exclaiming, "My God, you came 
near shooting me ! " He thought my gun had 
been accidentally discharged, as I had shot right 
past his head. I pointed to the wolf, lying not 
ten feet from him, with a bullet through its 
brain. It was the largest wolf I ever saw, equal 
in size to the largest Newfoundland dog, and 
when we examined his immense claws and ter- 
rible teeth, we were assured that he would have 
made fearful havoc with the victim he attacked. 
But Stout said he didn't know which would be 
the worse — to be eaten by a wolf, or be scared 
to death by my shooting. This ended our hunt, 
and we returned to Oysterville. 

About this time Pacific county, in the south- 
west corner of Washington territory, was re- 
organized. I was appointed sheriff, and at the 
following election was elected to the same office. 

Elder Ezra Stout, the head of the Baptist 
Church in Oregon, came to O^^sterville with his 
family. I met his youngest daughter, and 
soon afterward married her. My father-in-law 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. i6i 

soon returned to Oregon, where he owned a 
considerable tract of land near Oregon City. 

A Frenchman, named Dupuy, killed a man 
at or near the mouth of the Walihut — a stream 
that flows into Baker's bay, near Astoria. I was 
armed with a warrant, and sent to arrest the 
murderer. He was a desperate man, and had 
said that no man could arrest him. My friends 
cautioned me, for they believed he would shoot 
any one who attempted to capture him. I had 
never seen him ; so, on arriving at the mouth of 
the stream, I prevailed on two men to go with 
me to his cabin and point him out to me. They 
were not anxious to go, for they said he would 
" shoot, sure ! " But I told them all they had to 
do was to show me the man, and I would take 
the chances. 

We went till we came to his house, which was 
inclosed by a picket-fence, which was overgrown 
with salal bushes. On nearing this fence, some 
one called to me to stop, which I did, and my 
man said: "That's your man." I looked around, 
but seeing no one, I started on again ; when again 
a voice said : " Stop, or I'll shoot you ! " and 
again I stopped, and discovered through an 
opening in the bushes a man with a gun leveled 
across the fence at me. After we had taken a 
look at each other, he asked : "Is your name 
Hunter ? " " Yes," said I. " You are the Sheriff 



1 62 ReTfiiniscences of an Old Timer, 

of this county?" "Yes." "And you have a 
warrant forme, but you can't arrest me." I said: 
"If your name is Dupuy, I have a warrant for 
your arrest, and if I live I will perform my duty." 
I said: "Dupuy, you are represented to me as 
being a brave man. You certainly have no ill- 
feeling toward me for performing my duty ; and 
if you do shoot me, there will be many to take 
my place ; so make a good shot," and I com- 
menced walking up to him, watching his eye. I 
didn't make a move toward drawing my pistol, 
for I fully believed he would shoot me if I did ; 
but I was determined that if I saw his eyes drop 
to his gun, I would drop to the ground, and 
if he didn't make a sure shot, I would get up and 
return the compliment. He continued holding 
his gun on me till I was within a few feet of him 
(and I think that gun had the largest bore that 
I ever saw) ; then, pitching the gun over his 
head, he said: "I will not kill you. A man that 
can walk up to a gun as you have done, ought 
not to be killed for performing his duty." He 
then asked me to see my warrant, which I gave 
to him. He read it. He then asked me to allow 
him to go to his house and change his clothes. 
I told him, " Yes, of course," and we went to the 
house. He then asked me to allow him to go 
into the next room to shave and dress, and I 



Reminiscences of an Old Tiftier. 163 

granted liiin the privilege, after being assured 
by him that he would not try to get away. 

He brought out a flask of wine and poured 
out and drank a glass of it, then handed it to 
me saying, " Mr. Sheriff there's some very good 
wine ; you needn't be afraid, it twon't hurt 
you." It is needless to say that I sampled it, as 
my nerves were somewhat shaken. But the 
other two men would not touch it, and whispered 
to me when he stepped into the other room, that 
it might be poisoned, and wanted me to secure a 
shotgun that stood in a corner, fearing he would 
take it and make trouble. But I told them if he 
had wanted to try to kill me he could have done 
so long before, at the fence. 

In a short time he re-appeared, a perfectly 
dressed, fussy Frenchman, and a more gentle- 
manly man I never met. He had killed an 
Englishman for tampering with his squaw-wife. 
He took another glass of the wine and drank it 
to my health, and upon seeing the " wristlets " 
lying on the table, he said, " Mr. Sheriff, you 
won't put those on my hand." I said, " Not if 
you will give me your word that you won't try to 
get away from me." He then asked if I would 
protect him from a mob, and I told him that while 
he was in my custody he shouldn't be hurt by any 
one. He then seemed satisfied, and promised he 
wouldn't try to escape. All went well. 



164 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

Arriving at Astoria, I deputized Capt. Hoyt, 
of the river boat that then plyed between Port- 
land, Vancouver and Astoria, to take Dupuy to 
Vancouver to our judicial district jail. Capt. 
Hoyt insisted that I should iron the prisoner be- 
fore he started with him, and I did so. 

On taking leave of Dupuy he shook my hand, 
and said, " Good bye, Mr. Sheriff? I'll see you 
no more!" Thinking he had "weakened," I 
said " Yes, you will ! I'll be at Vancouver during 
court." "No!" said he, "you'll see me no 
more ! " Neither did I, for as the steamer was 
passing Oak Point, and he was walking the 
upper deck with the captain, he suddenly 
sprang overboard^ just forward of the wheel- 
house. The boat was stopped, but to no purpose. 
The body washed ashore some time afterward, 
and I got back my "wristlets." 

After my term as sheriff expired I was ap- 
pointed light-keeper of Toke Point light, and 
assisted in relighting and straightening it up, 
for it had been extinguished for some time. 

During the winter of 1861 our oyster beds 
were frozen out, and my brother and I were 
" broke up," as were many others, and I am in- 
formed that the Shoalwater bay oyster beds have 
never recovered. 



CHAPTER XII. 

A "Bully" Secessionist — A "Widower With an Orphan 
Child— They Didn't "Haul the Old Flag Down."— Sold 
Out, and Off for Gold Dust— Old, Tried and True Friends 
—The Indian Trouble of 1S62— A Scout Again— Bill 
White— " Dennis Will Stay Wid Ye's! "— An Indian 
Murder — Arresting a Lone Footman — Caution — His 
Short but Arousing Story — Cross-examination Con- 
vinces — A • ' Kick ' ' About the Commander. 

RECEIVING a letter from my wife's father 
informing us of the dangerous illness of 
mother Stout, and requesting us to come up and 
stop with them, I went with my wife and 
daughter, who was then about two years of age, 
to Oregon city. We found mother Stout's health 
much improved, so I bought a farm and con- 
cluded to remain near the old folks. 

The War of the Rebellion had broken out, 
and father Stout and myself having been 
"Douglass Democrats," became strong Union 
men when Fort Sumter was fired upon. 

He was living near a strong secession neigh- 
borhood, and as he was a small man and a 
preacher, he was frequently subjected to insults 

(165) 



1 66 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

from them. A day or two previous to my arrival 
he had been down on Mill creek to a little store, 
where a big bully by the name of Beasley had 
been induced to bully and annoy the old Hlder. 
This Beasley weighed not less than two hundred 
pounds, was young, and not being the strongest 
minded man in the world was easily led, and 
was looked upon as a "bad man to run against." 

Father Stout told me of the treatment he had 
received at Cutting's store, and as they were hav- 
ing some kind of an election down there a few 
days after my arrival, I concluded to go down as 
I would probably meet some of my wife's relatives 
that I had not met before. 

Of course, the word had gone the rounds of 
the neighborhood that Elder Stout's son-in-law 
had come up on a visit, and that I was a "Union 
man." 

So, father Stout tried to prevent me from 
going down that day, saying, "You will be 
insulted; you'll resent it, and get into trouble." 

I replied, "All right, father; if I do, there will 
be others full of trouble." So, go I did. 

When I got to the store I got a cigar and 
took a seat on the porch to smoke it, seeing no 
one there that I remembered of having met 
before. 

I soon noticed a knot of men assembled in the 
road a short distance from where I sat, talking 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 167 

and glancing toward me from time to time. 
Among them I noticed a large man, and from 
his looks and father Stout's description I was 
satisfied this was Beasley, and that they were 
talking of me. 

Suddenly the large man left the bunch, and 
walking up to me, slapped me on the shoulder, 
and looking me fiercely in the face, said, " Do 
you know what I'll do if I get to see Abe Lin- 
coln?" 

I replied that I certainly did not; that he 
might do many smart things, but — I had much 
sooner believe — foolish ones. 

He said, " By G , I'll kill him, I'll kill 

him !" grinding his teeth the while, and, after 
looking at me for a moment, he turned to step 
off the porch. 

I saw winks and grins passing from one to 
the other of the mob, and this was too much. 
I gave one spring, and struck him a blow in the 
back, which landed him in the middle of the 
road, and as he turned I said: "Do you know 
what I shall do when I see Jeff" Davis? I'll kill 

him, by G , I'll kill him ? But as neither of 

us will probably ever have the pleasure of seeing 
our men, let us represent good men for once in 
our lives — you are Jeff" Davis to me, and I am 
Ivincoln to you." 



j68 Reminiscences of ail Old Timer. 

But at this moment others interfered, and I 
failed to represent my man. It was probably as 
well for me, for lie had the brute force over me. 

Many who had seen this ludicrous affair came 
up, and we had a jolly laugh. I found many 
good, warm-hearted men among them, whose 
kindness to me in my troubles a short time later 
will ever be remembered. 

Shortly after this my good wife was confined, 
and I lost both her and my infant son. With 
my little girl I started for the Rogue River 
valley, to which my father had removed a year 
or so before. 

Arriving at " Starr's Point," as they used to 
call it (now Monroe), I stopped over to rest my 
little girl and visit among relatives and old 
friends. 

One day there had assembled at this place (or 
more properly at a store where the double dis- 
tilled extract of corn was dispensed) a consider- 
able crowd of men, the most of w4iom were vio- 
lent secessionists; and as "good Democrats " 
were supposed to do, they "filled up" with the 
" exhilarating beverage." From some cause or 
other the grand old Stars and Stripes had on this 
day been raised on a pole or staff near by, and 
pretty soon these half-tipsy fellows took offense 
at the defiant colors, and swore they would tear 



Reminiscences of aii Old Ti7ner. 169 

it down. Two or more of them started to ex- 
ecute the threat. Some of the crowd remon- 
strated, but to no avail. I being a stranger and a 
Democrat, I supposed that the Republicans pres- 
ent would protect the flag, but seeing no move- 
ment in that direction, and that if the flag was 
kept floating something must be done, and done 
quickly, I grabbed an old musket that chanced 
to be standing in a corner of the store, and at my 
best speed I made for that flag-staff. Remem- 
ber, I had already served two terms under the 
" old flag ! " My great-grandfathers had served 
with Washington, at Brandy wine and Valley 
Forge, my grandfather with Jackson at New 
Orleans, and I couldn't stand by and see the old 
emblem disgracefully lowered by a drunken rab- 
ble. 

As I ran swiftly forward I called frequently to 
their leader to stop, but he paid no attention to 
me. Knowing that nearly all men carried pistols 
those days, and that these men were made des- 
perate by drink, I determined to have the first 
shot. 

I took a quick aim, and drew the trigger, the 
cap burst clear, but no report followed. Then 
there was a race between me and their leader for 
the flag-staff" (all the rest had stopped when the 
cap bursted). We met at the flag-staff, and just 
as he was about to cut the halliards to lower the 



170 Reviiniscences of an Old Timer. 

flag my gun went off (it didn't snap that time) ; 
the barrel brought down on his head proved 
more effective than the bullet which refused to 
leave the barrel ! Well, he laid down, and as I 
now had time to draw my revolver, I sat down 
and informed the mob that I would shoot the 
first man who attempted to haul down that flag 
before sundown, at which time I would lower it 
myself if I lived so long. 

This settled it. Friends removed my man to 
the store, and many Union men gathered to my 
assistance, which had the effect of stopping 
further demonstrations in that direction. At the 
going down of the sun, we lowered the flag — 
cheering as we did so — and laid it away with the 
honor we conceived to be due to the " emblem of 
the free." 

Soon after this I went to my father's home 
in Rogue River valley, where I remained a short 
time with my parents. Then, leaving my 
daughter with them, I returned to Oregon City, 
sold my property, kept one hundred dollars and 
two horses out of the proceeds — sending the 
balance to mother for the benefit of my child — 
and started for The Dalles and the newl}^ dis- 
covered mines. 

Upon reaching The Dalles I again visited 
John Haligan and Father Mesplie. This was 
the last time I ever saw Haligan, but I after- 



Reminiscences of an Old Tiniei^ 171 

ward learned that he had been ordained a priest, 
and died at The Dalles. Father Mesplie I met 
some years afterward in Walla Walla, and I 
think he is still living in this the year 1887. 

I staid a short time at The Dalles, and then 
went to Canyon City, on a branch of the south 
fork of John Day's river. On reaching Canyon 
City I found the camp in excitement, and raising 
a company of volunteers to go out and suppress 
the Malheur and Crooked River Indians, that had 
been attacking pack-trains and had killed several 
mining or prospecting parties. This company 
numbered only fifteen, and they were hired by 
the miners for this special work. 

On my coming into the camp an old comrade, 
who had served with me in the Rogue River 
war, recognized me and said to the gentleman 
presiding over the meeting, "We want this man 
Hunter with us, if he will go." I was asked if 
I would go with them, and answered, " Yes, and 
glad to get the chance." So, I was admitted to 
their small company in the capacity of scout. 

The miners had chosen a captain to com- 
mand the outfit in the person of one Hill, 
from Minnesota. This man Hill had told of his 
exploits in the Minnesota Indian wars, and was 
thought to be well qualified to command the 
party. The name of the old comrade above 
mentioned was White, " Bill " White, as we 



172 Reminiscences of an Old Tinier. 

called him. Bill was as brave as a lion, and 
generous to a fault, and in my opinion should 
have been the one to have commanded our party, 
as he virtually did, shortly after reaching the 
Indians' whereabouts. 

After making the necessary preparations, and 
packing on animals sufficient provisions and 
ammunition to last us some weeks, we started 
out on the trails leading down the stream. We 
traveled some forty miles to the junction of the 
stream with the south fork of the John Day. 

This was the vicinity of most of the depre- 
dations, and several small mining parties had 
been waylaid and killed at or near this point, 
while out prospecting, and several pack-trains 
had been attacked near here. So, on reaching 
the south fork, we moved away from the trails 
about two miles, into the hills, and finding a 
small spring-branch surrounded by hills that 
were covered with heavy timber, and plenty of 
good grass on this creek or spring-branch for 
our horses, we struck camp, and concluded to laj^ 
there for some days, at least, and watch the trails, 
and if we should discover a small body of Indi- 
ans, attack them ; but in case there were more 
than we thought we could handle, we would 
watch them and send back to Canyon City for aid. 

The next day we posted a man on a liigh 
point, where he could conceal himself and over- 



Reminiscences of an Old Tinier. 175 

look the trails and a large part of the surround- 
ing country. He would be relieved every few 
hours. We all believed that the Indians had 
one or more white men with them. 

We would send out one or two parties on foot 
each day to scout around the country, and see if 
there were any Indians encamped anywhere near 
us. White or myself generally went with these 
small parties, as it was known that we were the 
only ones that had had any experience in Indian 
fighting — unless it was our captain, and nearly 
everybody in a few days doubted if he had ever 
been in an Indian campaign. 

These watches and short scouts were kept up 
for several days without any result, when early 
one morning I determined to make a scout up 
the south fork further than we had been as yet. 
As White had been out all the day before, I took 
an Irishman with me. He was a butcher by 
trade, a good walker, stout and hearty, and dar- 
ing to the extreme. He wanted to go with me 
on this scout, as he had not yet been out. 

I told Dennis we would have to "run for it " 
if the Indians discovered us, and if he couldn't 
outrun them there would be one Irishman less in 
camp. Dennis said, "Will, George, if thim hay- 
thens are after gittin' meself, I'm after thinkin' 
the divel'll have the pair uv us, fur its meself 
that's goin' to stay wid ye's ? " I was not sorry 



174 Reminiscences of an Old Tiiner. 

to have Dennis with me, as I knew him to be 
young, stout and active, and believed him to be 
cool and brave, and last, but not least by any 
means, he was the best company to be found in 
camp, for with his wit and droll, rollicking Irish 
brogue he kept all of us in a good humor. 

After telling the boys not to look for us till 
they saw us, we stowed some jerked meat in our 
pouches with a little salt and some crackers, 
and started out. I asked White to go a short 
distance with us, which he did. After getting out 
of hearing of the camp I told White I was sure 
we were going to have trouble with Capt. Hill 
soon, as I could plainly see that the boys had 
become convinced that he was totally unfit to 
lead the party. 

I told White to watch and keep down all feel- 
ing that he could, and he said he would, as he 
was fully aware that to change commanders 
would prove disastrous to the expedition, and 
disgraceful to us, as our friends at Canyon City 
expected protection, and were paying us for it 
out of their own hard earnings. 

Feeling easy on this point, I told White I 
should go far up the south fork and might not 
get back for a day or two, but to keep the boys 
well together, and not fear for us, for we would 
come back all right. He said, "I know you will, 
and wish I could go with you on this trip, but it 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 175 

won't do for botH of us to go away from camp just 
now." Shaking my hand, he said: "George, I 
know you are cautious when it is required. I be- 
lieve you are going on dangerous ground, and 
that when you come back you will have some 
kind of news for us. Don't go too far." 

And he turned back to camp. Dennis and I 
pushed on up the south fork, keeping well in the 
bushes, avoiding trails so as to leave no evidence 
of our presence. 

While going along I gave Dennis some signals 
and signs of warning that I had used years be- 
fore to good effect. On we went, I leading, Dennis 
close behind, keeping a close watch all around 
us. We traveled very slow, so as not to run into 
danger unawares. At noon we sat down in the 
brush and ate a lunch off our beef and crackers. 
Whilst eating, Dennis said that we were near the 
place where the Indians had killed four miners 
who had been out prospecting. They had camped 
under a bluff which he pointed to. The 
Indians had crawled up on top of the bluff 
and iired on them just as they were getting out 
of their blankets. Two were killed, and two 
wounded who were followed up and brutally 
butchered in a gulch ?. short distance away. One 
or more made their escape and worked their way 
to Canyon City, where a party fitted out and came 
and buried the dead. 



1/6 Remmiscences of mi Old Timer, 

The stor}^ and dinner being finished, we pro- 
ceeded on our way. 

About two o'clock in the afternoon, as we were 
crossing an elevation near the trails, w^e got a good 
look ahead on the trails, and I just caught a 
glimpse of a man or an animal coming about a 
mile ahead. 

I raised my hand and Dennis sank to the 
ground in silence ; as I did I said to Dennis, 
"Keep still;" something's coming on the trails; 
whatever it is it will soon come in sight again. A 
minute afterward it appeared in plain view, and 
we could see that it was a man of some kind. 
He soon passed out of sight, as he went down 
into another gulch. I took a hasty look around, 
and seeing a thick bunch of greasewood just 
above the trails that would conceal us from view, 
I told Dennis to step carefully so as to leave no 
tracks, and follow me. I sprang over and into 
these bushes, Dennis after me. Selecting a 
suitable place, we lay down to await results. 

I told Dennis that if there were only a few of 
them we would give them a fight, but if too 
many we would watch them, and when it was 
dark get back to the boys and come down upon 
them. We soon saw that there was only one, 
and that was a white man. But I believed him 
to be a renegade, and worse than an Indian, as I 
supposed he was looking for prey for the Indians 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 177 

to capture, as I couldn't think what would bring 

this one lone white man away out there in that 

dangerous localit}^ So I told Dennis to keep his 

gun on him, and at the proper time I would jump 

into the trail with my revolver and either capture 

or kill him, but for him to be sure and not miss 

him if he saw him make a movement to draw a 

weapon. Dennis said, " Divil a miss; sure I can 

dhrap 'im too aisy." I saw that Dennis was cool 

and determined, so I cautioned him not to be too 

quick to shoot, for it might be an innocent party. 

In a few minutes he came along, walking as 

fast as he could. Just before he got opposite us 

I jumped into the trail in front of him. Seeing 

that his first impulse was to run, I said to him, 

"Don't run, or you are a dead man!" He said, 

"Thank God," and started toward me. But I 

said: "Stop; don't come a step nearer; look at 

that bush and you will see a man covering you 

with a gun, so if I miss you (and I ain't in the 

habit of missing) that man will kill you. Throw 

up your hands!" All this I said while I still 

covered him with my revolver. Up went his hands. 

I asked him if he had a pistol; he answered, 

" Yes." Then I said, " Unbuckle your belt and let 

it drop, and be careful you don't touch your pistol, 

for one false move, and you'll pass in your 

checks." He dropped his belt. I said to Dennis, 

"Come and get his pistol; I'll 'copper' him." 
12 



lyS Reminiscejices of an Old Timer, 

And Dennis came and got it. I was satisfied that 
was all the weapon he had, so I told him to go 
in front of us to the brush on the stream and we 
would have a quiet talk, pointing the way. I 
left Dennis on a little raise to keep a close watch 
and see if any others were coming. 

After getting away from the trails I asked, 
"Who are you, anyway?" He told me his name, 
and said he was coming to the John Daj^s mining 
camp with a family by the name of Rexford and 
others, with about 300 head of beef cattle from 
near Yreka; that there were three families to- 
gether — eight men all told, besides the women 
and children ; that they had come via Goose 
lake and Crooked river, and that two da3^s 
before, the Indians had attacked them one morn- 
ing while in camp on a tributary of the John 
Day, stolen all their horses, killed all their 
work oxen, and surrounded them near the stream 
where these families had fortified themselves the 
best they could, and that the Indians were tak- 
ing their time to kill them, as they had plenty of 
good beef to eat ; that he had made his escape 
the night before by crawling through the brush 
for some miles, and was trying to make his way 
to Canyon City for help. He asked how far it 
was to Canyon City, and when I told him he said, 
" My God, they will all be murdered before I can 
get help." 



Remmiscences of an Old Timer. 179 

I said, " I don't know about that." For by this 
time I was satisfied that he was telling the truth, 
as there was a young man with us by the name 
of Rexford, who had told me he expected an 
uncle out from California with cattle, and he 
feared he would have trouble with the Indians. 
So I told him that I had some scouts twelve or 
fifteen miles below, and if he would make good 
time I would soon have help to the families. But 
I warned him that if he was lying he had better 
pray every jump he made^ for his stay would be 
short and he would get a "free pass over the 
road." 

He said, " Lets be going; I am ready." We 
gave him some jerked beef and crackers (which 
he stood in need of). He ate as he walked 
swiftly in the lead, Dennis and I after him. I 
told him to set the gait, that Dennis and I could 
keep up, and the sooner we reached my camp the 
quicker relief could be afforded the imperiled 
families. And as we now took the trails, we could 
make good time, and good time we did make. 

Getting into camp about four o'clock, we found 
all in an uproar. As I had foreseen, Capt. Hill 
had come in conflict with the boys, who said they 
wouldn't stay a day longer, or go a foot further 
with him as captain, and were determined to elect 
either White or myself captain. They were satis- 
fied with either of us. They said Hill was an old 



i8o Revmiiscences of an Old Timer. 

ass, and didn't know any more about Indians or 
mountains than a " hog did about a holiday." 

Here was a go. I had a short talk with White, 
and he agreeing with me, I got the boys together 
and told them that they were probably correct to 
some extent in their opinions of our captain. 
But now we had assurance of the whereabouts of 
the Indians, and the lives of innocent women and 
children depended on the promptness of our ac- 
tion, without a doubt ; and if we made any 
change in regard to the commander of our com- 
pany and then failed to rescue the families, the 
blame would be laid at our doors. And further, 
that the parties who hired us to come out would 
feel under no obligations to pay us for our time 
if we took the responsibility of reorganizing with- 
out their sanction. Then White and I took Capt. 
Hill to one side, and told him that, as he certainly 
was not conversant with those mountains, he 
had better make some concessions, and still re- 
main in command ; assuring him at the same 
time that we would do all we could to help him 
out. He said he was perfectly willing to be ad- 
vised by White and myself, if this would be 
satisfactory to the rest of the boys, and so stated 
to them. This settled the matter, and I Mall 
say that Capt. Hill kept his word and proved to 
be a good man. I told them all I knew about 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. i8i 

our prisoner (for as such he had been regarded 
up to this time). 

I had young Rexford stand by, while I ques- 
tioned our " coppered " man, as Rexford could 
soon see whether or not he was an impostor, and 
if he was not we would soon be on the trail to 
the relief of his uncle and the families. But if 
we found him to be a renegade we would make 
short work of him. 

Warning him that we had our own way of 
knowing when he lied, and if we found that he 
was deceiving us his life wasn't worth a cent, and 
he had better say his prayers, for his time was 
short, we proceeded to question him very closely. 
He related the same story he had told me when 
I stopped him on the trails. He told the given 
names of Mr. and Mrs. Rexford, and the names 
of each of the children, and the names of others 
of the party, and otherwise recited until young 
Rexford said, "That's enough; my uncle's family 
is surrounded, as this man says, and they are 
probably murdered by this time." 



CHAPTER XIII. 

To the Rescue — A Cautious Night-March — A Wrong Route 
and a Rough One — "What Did We Come For?" — A 
Daring Ride — A Gallant Charge — Rescued — Mistaken 
Indians — Blessings — The Coyote, the Bird and the Horse 
— Raw Ox-Teams and How to Drive Them — A Grotesque 
Company of Volunteers — The Bloody Blankets Caused 
Him to Hang — Hunting Redskins — Found Their Nests 
— After Them in Their Own Way — No Use for Wounded 
Men. 

THIS satisfied all of us, and we immediately 
set to work preparing for the rescue, and 
to get to the Rexford camp as soon as possible. 
The man had told us that there were lOO or 150 
Indians surrounding the people, so we gave him 
a pack-animal, and told him to ride as fast as he 
could to Canyon City, report the situation, and 
have all the men they could muster sent out to 
help us, as we proposed to reach the families as 
soon as we could, and would hold the Indians in 
check till they came to our assistance. 

After consultation we concluded to divide our 
little company into two parties, leaving Captain 

(1S2) 



Reminiscences of an Old Ti7ner. 183 

Hill and seven men with the pack-animals, pro- 
visions and ammunition, to come on, following 
our trail as fast as he could. White and myself, 
with six men, were to push on and try to get to 
the beleaguered people that night, if possible; 
for the man who had escaped had given us the 
location of the wagons as near as he could. 

So, after dark, we started on our dangerous mis- 
sion, leaving Captain Hill to pack up and follow us 
as fast as he could. It was not so dark, but we could 
see to travel at a good round pace on through the 
night. We rode. White in the lead, he being the 
best posted as to the lay of the mountains and 
streams, I bringing up the rear. We traveled 
swiftly along the foot of high hills, flitted across 
small bottoms, and up and over spurs of the 
elevated lands like so many spectres, for hour 
after hour. Not a sound could be heard but the 
clattering of our horses' hoofs as they flew over 
the rocks and through the brush and timber; 
not a word was spoken, but in Indian file we all 
followed our brave leader, with guns and revolv- 
ers ready. 

Thus we traveled all through the night, and 
till about four o'clock in the morning, when I 
made a signal for a halt. 

For an hour or so I had been thinking we had 
gone too far, and when White halted at the given 
signal, and I rode up to him, he asked, "What is 



184 Reminiscences of mi Old Timer. 

it, Hunter?" I said: " Bill, don't you think we 
are on tlie wrong trail ? That man couldn't 
possibly have traveled as far as we have rode 
in the time he said he was on the trail ; and 
he told us that the wagons were on a creek, 
and there is no appearance of anything like a 
creek ahead, as far as I can judge by these high, 
rocky hills." 

He thought awhile, then said: " You are right. 
Hunter ; they are not in this direction, but where 
are they ? " 

I said : "I have been thinking for some time 
that fellow was mistaken about that camp being 
on a tributary of the south fork, as the main 
branch is small up here in the mountains ; and, 
as the trail leads over spurs of the mountains, 
when he came to the stream, it being so much 
larger than it was above, he has made a mistake. 
I believe the camp is on the main south fork, 
and that we have passed it some miles to our 
right." 

"You are undoubtedly right," said White; 
" there is no other stream in this direction, that 
I can think of, that he could have walked from 
in the time he says he was walking ; so, what 
shall we do ? " 

Says I, " Stop and let the horses rest till it is 
light enough for us to see around, and then be 
governed by the lay of the land." 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer, 185 

This motion was acquiesced in by all, and 
soon our horses were relieved of their saddles, 
and picketed out on grass ; and each of us, 
wrapped in a blanket, sat down by a tree, or laid 
down, to get what rest we could. 

As soon as it was light enough to see we sent 
two of our men back on the trail to intercept 
Captain Hill and his party, and prevent their 
following our roundabout course with the pack- 
animals, and tell him how to cut across the 
country to the south fork. 

This left only six in our party, but after taking 
a good view of the surrounding country we 
struck for the south fork. None but those who 
have traveled over that portion of the country 
can have an idea of that day's journey. It 
was a continuous stretch of lava rocks, over 
ridges and canyons without a trail. The most of 
the day we were compelled to walk, and lead our 
horses over the rocks, spurs, and deep canyons. 

About four o'clock in the afternoon we heard 
the distant report of a gun, ahead and to the 
right of us, which assured us that we were correct 
in our last conjectures, and that we were yet 
in time to assist some, if not all the imperiled. 

So, with swelling hearts and increased energy, 
we pushed on toward the sound as fast as possible. 
As we neared the stream the hills were less 
rocky, and when we reached the hill from which 



1 86 Reminisceiices of an Old Tinier. 

we could overlook the stream there were but few, 
if any, rocks. Gaining the summit of the last 
hill, we stopped there and had a fine view of 
everything in the narrow bottom along the 
stream below us. 

We saw the wagons in a sink on the bottom 
near the stream, close to a small patch of willow 
brush. We also saw that the men had fortified 
to some extent, with brush and dirt, to protect 
themselves and families, in which, it will appear, 
they had been successful. 

It appears that up to this time the Indians had 
no idea that any of the whites had escaped to 
give the alarm. And well knowing that there 
was no place nearer than Canyon City that they 
could get help from — and that there was little or 
no travel on these trails — they felt secure, and 
sure of soon having the whites in their power, 
without jeopardizing the life of one of their own 
people. And as they had plenty of beef, they 
were taking their own time cooking, eating, and 
keeping a close guard over the whites, occasionall)-'' 
firing a few shots at them from a distance — in 
short, they were having a picnic. 

After taking a good look at all below us, and 
studying the lay of the land to be ridden over, we 
saw that there were forty or fifty Indians scattered 
around on horseback just out of gunshot of the 
camp, riding around and occasionally shooting at 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 187 

tlie besieged, while others were cooking and 
eating beef in the edge of the brush six or eight 
hundred yards above the camp. We could see 
that if the Indians were at all on the fight we 
had a desperate feat to accomplish if we got to 
the surrounded wagons; for we would have to 
ride boldly down a sloping hill in plain sight of 
both whites and Indians for fully three-quarters 
of a mile, and then charge through the Indians 
to the wagons as best we could. 

It was yet light, and would be for some time. 

Their actions showed that the Indians were 
aware of our presence and would give us a warm 
reception. 

White turned and asked me, " Shall we go 
down there ?" I said, " Yes! What did we come 
for?'' He said, "You are right. Hunter, but 
some if not all of us are going to pass in our 
checks ! " His cheeks were as pale as they after- 
wards were when we laid him in his coffin, but 
his eyes showed a steady determined gleam, that 
spoke of a fierce, determined soul within, and 
that he had harbored no other thought but of go- 
ing to the help of those poor surrounded women 
and children, even though it be sure death to 
him and those who were with him. 

He continued saying, "You are the best 
mounted; take the lead and command; I will be 
close after you." "All right," said I. Then 



1 88 Reminiscences of a?i Old Timer. 

turning to tlie other boys, I said: " Follow White, 
and keep a few yards behind each other; swing 
your guns, and take out your revolvers, and when 
we get within gunshot, fire as fast as 3''ou can, 
and give back yell for yell. But above all ride 
as though the devil himself was after you. If 
any of us fall, don't stop, but let some of us get 
to the camp at all hazards. Every man for him- 
self on this ride." Then I turned and shook 
White's hand, as I had done the others, and we 
started down the hill on a slow trot. 

Turning in my saddle, I saw first one, then 
another of the boys tighten their belts, but not a 
twitch of a muscle, or a quailing eye could I de- 
tect among that little band — every one sat his 
horse as firm as a rock, each face reflected the 
determination that dwelt within each brave 
breast. There was not an indication of fear or 
wavering on the part of any one. All seemed 
inspired by the one sole motive, to reach the sur- 
rounded wagons, or lose their lives in the at- 
tempt. 

Slowly and silently we moved down the slop- 
ing hill ; not a word was spoken, keeping in the 
order in which we started; each grasping a re- 
volver in one hand while with the other he 
guided and restrained his horse. 

On down we w^ent till within a short distance 
of the bottom. The Indians were circling in 



Remmiscences of an Old Timer. 189 

front of us, or laying in tlie bushes above tlie 
wagons. I raised in my stirrups, took a hasty 
look and cried at the top of my voice, " Now, 
boys ! " and away we sprang, my horse at his ut- 
most speed, the others after me. A few seconds 
and we were among the circling rabble, rifles and 
revolvers cracking, whites and Indians yelling at 
the top of their voices. 

It was done as quick as I can tell it, and 
through the yelling horde we burst like a 
thunderbolt ; a moment more and we were safe 
under the bank near the wagons. The men at 
the wagons were about to fire on us as we ap- 
proached, when a woman cried " Doii't shoot ! it 
is white men coming." 

This was well said, and in time, for they had a 
straight line on us, and would in all likelihood 
have killed or wounded some of us if they had 
shot. 

As it was, it seemed we had all miraculously 
escaped unhurt. Fifteen or twenty Indians circled 
very close to me, near the foot of the hill, but 
White dashed to my side while a stream of bullets 
poured into the circle from his revolver (my own 
was not idle by any means nor were those of the 
rest of the party). But as I said before, we 
gained cover and the wagons, where we jumped 
from our trembling horses to be clasped by the 
hands, arms and knees, by men, women and 



I go Remmiscences of an Old Tiiner. 

children. To describe that scene would require 
a better pen than mine — it beggared description. 

Let the reader picture in his mind these fam- 
ilies surrounded for days by the fiendish redskins, 
their horses stolen, their oxen killed, far from 
help, not expecting any — for they were fully of 
the opinion, that the brave young man who 
attempted to escape and go for help, had been 
killed, or got lost — all hope having left them. 
Then imagine their feelings as we came dashing 
through the ranks of the painted devils, to their 
sides ! They would cry, shake our hands, and 
bless us by turns. They told us they saw 
several Indians taken away by the others, and 
there were two or three dead horses left on the 
bottom. 

It was quite awhile before we could make 
them understand that they were endangering 
themselves as well as us ; for we now fully 
expected that the Indians would make a deter- 
mined attack upon us, and try to " clean us out." 
At last we succeeded in making them under- 
stand the situation, and something like order 
and quiet prevailed. 

We soon had good lookouts posted, and the 
women prepared us something to eat, while the 
men unsaddled our horses, and secured them 
where they could get a little grass. 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 191 

As soon as we liad eaten our luncli, White 
and I concluded to make a scout and find out, 
if we could, what the Indians were doing. As 
it was now after dark, and all had been quiet 
since we reached the camp, we feared the Indi- 
ans were up to some devilment. The women 
objected, said we shouldn't go, they were sure 
we would be killed if we went, and then all 
of them would be killed. 

But we soon convinced them that it was neces- 
sary for us to know what the Indians were doing, 
to be able to offset them in their movements. 

After arranging our signals. White started 
down the stream, and I up, with the under- 
standing that neither of us should go over a 
mile from camp, and we should both return 
under the shadow of the hills and meet and 
compare notes. If either of us saw any Indi- 
ans, we were to gather all the information we 
could, and return as before stated. 

So, I stole slowly out of camp, and cautiously 
worked my way up the stream, finding some 
of the cattle here and there, quietly lying down 
or feeding. I stopped every few steps to listen. 
Everything told me there were no Indians 
near me — for if there were, the cattle wouldn't be 
so quiet — but still with great caution I moved 
on up the stream for a mile or more. Not seeing 
or hearing anything but the beef-cattle, I had 



192 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

long ere this come to the conclusion that the 
Indians had left, probably thinking all of the 
Canyon City miners were near, and not thinking 
that six men would have the hardihood to rush 
through their midst, without there were more 
close at hand. 

Having gone as far as I agreed to, I cautiously 
crept across the flat to the foot of the hills, and 
worked my way back along them, frequently 
stopping to listen. After slowly moving along 
for some time, I heard the bark of a coyote (wolf) 
a short distance ahead of me, and as this was to 
be White's signal as agreed, I knew he was near, 
and coming toward me. The low twittering of 
a bird told him where I was. We soon^et, and 
when I told him of my lookout, he said it was 
about the same as his. He had seen nothing that 
indicated the presence of Indians. We were both 
of the opinion that the Indians had withdrawn 
to reconnoitre and see if there were more whites 
coming, or more likely had retreated back to their 
strongholds on the Malheur and Crooked rivers. 

White imitated the low whinny of a horse, 
which notified our friends of our coming back, 
and that all was well. 

We were soon in camp again and surrounded 
by the whole party, who eagerly asked all man- 
ner of questions at the same time, which we 
answered as best we could. 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 193 

After posting guards and making the neces- 
sary arrangements for reliefs, we laid down to 
sleep some, White and I to be awakened a short 
time before daylight. 

Being called near morning, we started out to- 
gether up the stream before the families were up. 
We moved slowly up through the brush and 
found the cattle quietly feeding, which satisfied 
us that the Indians were not near. So we moved 
quietly but more swiftly. Getting something 
more than a mile from camp we stopped and 
waited till it was broad daylight. Then we made 
a close examination and shortly found the trail 
of the Indians, leading up out of the bottom and 
over the high hills, in the direction of Crooked 
river. As they had with them all the horses that 
belonged to the emigrants, they left a broad trail 
which we followed two or three miles, and until 
we were sure that they had left for good. We then 
returned to camp, got our breakfasts, and sent 
some of the boys out on horseback to make 
a more thorough scout. On their return they 
reported that they had followed the trail some 
miles and were convinced that the Indians had 
left. We then stationed one or two to keep watch 
and the rest of us drove up some of the beef cat- 
tle; and, selecting some steers, lassoed them, 
yoked them up and hitched them to the wagons. 
Then having packed the provisions and other 



194 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

effects to the top of the hill, we led, herded, and 
drove the teams up. That day was fully occupied 
in getting the steers to work, and the wagons to 
the summit of the hill. 

The next day we were moving slowly along 
when, toward noon, we saw coming toward us our 
other ten men with the packs. We soon met and 
exchanged experiences. 

In trying to make a cut-off they had run on to 
canyons that they couldn't cross, and would have 
to head, and probably traveled further than we 
did, then being encumbered with the pack- 
animals they had necessarily moved slowly. 
They told us of a gulch a short distance ahead, 
to which we proceeded and camped for the night. 

Securing the teams, and leaving a few as guards, 
the rest of us returned to the creek, collected all 
the beef-cattle we could find and joined the camp 
that night. The next day we moved on slowly, 
and had just passed the head of a canyon, when 
we saw some miles ahead and coming over a high 
point toward us what seemed to be a large body 
of mounted men, and as we didn't think our 
" coppered " friend had time to get to Can3^on 
City, raise so large a force and return so far, 
we feared that these were Indians returning 
to attack us. So we turned the teams and 
cattle back telling the emigrants to go back to 
the canyon and fortify the best they could, that 



Reminiscences of a7i Old Timer. 195 

we, the sixteen, would go forward and if those 
coming proved to be Indians, hold them in check 
till the teamsters could arrange the camp for the 
protection of the women and children. But we 
had not proceeded far, before we were convinced 
that the advancing party were white men, 
and there were about a hundred of them. So 
we signaled the teams to come on, and rode for- 
ward to meet them. 

Coming together we found them to be a party 
of miners, who on hearing of the surrounded 
emigrants, and that Captain Hill's company had 
gone to their assistance, collected such animals 
and arms as they could find, then " come 
a-running." Mounted on fat and poor horses 
and sore-backed mules, some with saddles, 
some with pack saddles, some with only a 
blanket to ride on, and some riding bareback. 
They were armed with every conceivable weapon, 
from a butcher knife to a rifle. 

They were the hardest looking " company of 
soldiers" I ever saw. Yet I would have guaran- 
teed a most gallant fight if they had met the 
marauding Indians. 

After shaking hands with our reinforcing 
friends, we pushed on to the mouth of the Canyon 
City branch of the south fork of the John Days 
river, where we camped for the night, and each 
told of his adventures. The women's stories 



196 Reminiscences of an Old Tijner. 

were listened to with, great sympatliy and feeling, 
while they rejoiced at their escape from the 
ravishing fiends. 

While talking that night we were told of a 
murder that had been committed on the trails 
between The Dalles and the John Days mines, by 
one Berry Way. It appears that he, with his 
partner, were coming up from The Dalles with a 
few animals packed. 

Way killed his partner one night, and brought 
the train in to Canyon City, and the bloody 
blankets that the murdered man had slept in 
gave him away ; search being made, the body of 
the murdered man was found. Way was ar- 
rested, tried, and hung. This was the first man 
that " stretched hemp " in the mining regions of 
Oregon, Washington, or Idaho. This resulted in 
an ill feeling between roughs and officials that 
terminated in a shooting scrape. 

The next morning the miners escorted Rexford 
and the families with the beef-cattle on to Canyon 
City, where they arrived without further peril or 
adventure. 

Capt. Hill, with our party, returned to the place 
where the Indians had crossed the high hills, or 
mountains, and followed their trail, as we had no 
idea of letting them off so easy. We adopted the 
Indian mode of trailing and scouting, and when 
we came on to Crooked river cached ourselves 



Remmisce7ices of an Old Timer. 197 

as well as we could in tlie brush and timber, and 
again sent out our scouts and lookouts, witb the 
hope of finding a party small enough for us to 
attack. A few days passed, when White came in 
one evening and told us he had discovered quite 
a camp of Indians some miles above us, and he 
thought he could get us well up to them in the 
night, so that we could " clean it up " in the 
morning. This was good news to us, for things 
had been getting monotonous there for some 
days ; so about midnight, having made all possi- 
ble preparations, we started up the river " for 
blood." After we had traveled some miles White 
and I left our horses with the boys and went 
ahead on foot, telling Hill to keep well behind 
us with the horses and follow along slowly. Some 
miles further up we found the Indians' camp, but 
a few hundred yards ahead of us ; there were fif- 
teen or twenty lodges (rather more than we 
wished). But we were resolved to give them a 
dose of their own medicine, and believed that if 
we succeeded in surprising them we could "pep- 
per their soup " well and get away. So after 
taking a good look at the lay of the surrounding 
land, and concluding on the best mode of ap- 
proaching the encampment, we went back till we 
met the others of our party, and made known 
our plan of attack. We warned all the boys not 
to stop after the Indians got into the brush, for 



198 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

we didn't want any wounded comrades on our 
hands while so far away from a mining camp, 
with no mode of conveyance. 

All being arranged, and future movements 
well understood, we moved on up to a point of 
brush within a few hundred yards of the lodge, 
and impatiently awaited the appearance of day. 
We had not waited long till the gray light 
began to steal along the hills, then the bottom, 
and every minute object could be more plainly 
seen. Smoke from the wick-i-ups and the sight 
of an Indian or two warned us that the time for 
action had arrived. We slipped into our saddles, 
and, with a concerted yell, dashed our horses 
against the lodges, firing at everything that 
moved, then circling and shooting as the Indians 
rushed out of their lodges. This was a complete 
surprise party, and for some time we had it our 
own way. As the hosts were not prepared to 
entertain us, we furnished the music and refresh- 
ments ; they partook of the latter and danced to 
the former. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

The Surprise Party and Adieu — Surrounded — Indian Signals 
Aid Our Escape — A Sudden Meeting — The ' ' Reduction ' ' 
— In a Tight Place — The Daring Riise — An American 
Ambuscade Results in a Greater "Reduction" — A Com- 
rade Wounded — A Detail for Venison Reports Eight 
Carcases, Six " Black -tails" and Two "Red -skins" — 
More Ruses — Discretion — We Got Away with "Hide 
and Seek ' ' — A Very Brief Geological Opinion — Procuring 
Brain Food for Shriveled Stomachs — The Campaign Ends 
by Our Being Honorably Discharged. 

BUT pretty soon they gained the bush and 
commenced reciprocating. This we failed 
to appreciate ; so we hastened to the bald hills, 
then circled around to our pack-animals and 
back to the hills again. The Indians were by 
this time thoroughly aware of our presence in 
their vicinity, and we could see small parties of 
them on the high hills around us watching our 
movements and dashing here and there in all 
directions. 

Crossing a rivulet, we watered our horses and 
filled our canteens with water, then rode boldly 

(199) 



200 Remi7iisce7ices of an Old Timer. 

to the top of a hill that had plenty of rocks and 
a few stunted trees on its summit. Here we 
unsaddled our horses and prepared our break- 
fast. After breakfasting some of us lay down to 
sleep, while others watched the movements of the 
Indians. 

Along in the afternoon some of them ventured 
a little too close to our encampment, but a few 
well-aimed shots persuaded them to keep at a 
more respectful distance, which they maintained 
during the rest of the day. Night coming on, 
we stationed our men so as to watch all points of 
the compass ; for we well knew that the Indians 
would signal to each other their whereabouts 
soon after dark. This they do by making balls 
of dry grass, and pitch from the pine-trees, set- 
ting them on fire and throwing them into the 
air from the summits of prominent hills ; these 
are answered from hill to hill. As I had learned 
these signals years before, I hoped to find out 
where the main body of the Indians were. 

Soon after dark one of the boys, who was look- 
ing in the direction of the place we had left on 
Crooked river that morning, called my attention 
to a bright light that flashed up in that quarter. 
I told the others to watch closely in the other 
directions and see the signal answered. 

In a moment we saw two or three balls of fire 
flash up in the direction of Canyon City. This 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 201 

was all we wanted to find out, and satisfied us 
that the main body of the Indians had got 
between us and Canyon City, so as to ambush us 
if we attempted to return to that place — which 
we had no idea of doing yet awhile. So we 
saddled up and quietly rode back to Crooked 
river, and followed up the stream for some miles, 
then camped in the bushes till morning. 

At daybreak we were again on our horses, and 
going toward the Malheur. 

This morning, as we were quietly trotting 
along, we came suddenly upon a band of Indi- 
ans. We met as we were crossing the sharp 
point of hill, and were within fifty yards of them 
before either party was aware of the proximity 
of the other. 

At first sight our rifles commenced crack- 
ing. Our numbers were about equal, but we got 
the first shot. We dashed at them, and they 
didn't stop to count noses, but wheeled, and 
with their whips urged their ponies toward some 
brush about a mile away. 

Our horses being the fastest, we kept up with 
them, and as we were not " out for our health," 
but rather wished to earn our wages, I may be 
pardoned for intimating that their number 
was considerably reduced before they reached 
the brush. There we left them, and pushed on 
our way for several miles. 



202 Reminisceiices of a7i Old Timer. 

We soon discovered that the Indians were 
again collecting round us in large numbers, and 
we were fully aware that they were aroused to 
desperation, and that nothing but the coolest 
management and watchfulness would save our 
scalps. To be caught in a position which would 
necessitate our running our horses down would 
prove disastrous to us. So, again we selected an 
eminence, and after watering our horses and fill- 
ing our canteens at a little creek, we fortified, 
put our horses in a sheltered place, and cooked 
and ate a bite. 

During the afternoon the Indians attacked us, 
but they soon found out that we couldn't be 
routed, and that they were " wasting their sweet- 
ness on the desert air," so they contented them- 
selves with surrounding and watching us, know- 
ing that we couldn't remain where we were 
without water for any great length of time. 

This was a little more than we had bargained 
for. We spent the remainder of our time in 
planning a scheme for escape. It was finally 
determined that White and I should, after all 
was in readiness, mount our horses and dash 
noisily down a slope to Crooked river, cross over 
through the bushes, then, if we had succeeded in 
eluding the Indians, make our way down to our 
camp of the night before, and await the coming 
of the rest of the party. As soon as we started, 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 203 

Hill and the rest of tlie party were to quietly 
move down a gulch and make their way as best 
they could by another route to the same point. 
In case we heard any firing in their direction 
we were to get to the main body as soon as pos- 
sible. 

White and myself had the best horses in the 
outfit, and it would have worried a good race- 
horse to beat either of them in a long race ; 
so, after maturing our plans and studying the 
ground to be ridden over by each party, we made 
our j)reparations and awaited the coming of the 
night, all realizing that to-night it was " neck or 
nothing " with us ; and that nothing but the 
coolest and most daring moves would extricate us 
from our peril ; for peril it was, as we all knew ; 
and all were fully determined to escape and 
" make it hot" for the redskins if attacked. 

Darkness came on — and it was intensely dark. 
Our party being ready to start down the gulch, 
away went White and I. It was so dark that we 
couldn't see each other when a few yards apart. I 
dashed straight for the river, down the sloping 
hill with White close after me, our horses " doing 
their level best." On and down we went. Flash- 
ing past some mounted Indians, we exchanged a 
few shots, but it was too dark for either side to 
take aim or shoot with any degree of certainty, 
and, of course, this was a waste of ammunition. 



204 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

On we went, pursued by a yelling horde, who 
were shooting at us as they came on ; but their 
bullets were as dangerous to themselves as to us 
in the darkness. They soon contented them- 
selves with following us as fast as their ponies 
could carry them ; but, as our horses made two 
feet to their one, we soon had considerable terri- 
tory between us and them. 

Coming to the stream, we crossed over and 
dashed down on the other side some miles; 
then, stopping occasionally to listen, and hearing 
nothing but distant yells in the quarter from 
which we had come, we became satisfied that they 
had discontinued the pursuit, or were following 
very slowly, and so we recrossed the stream, and, 
getting off our horses, led them slowly along for 
some distance, listening to learn if the Indians 
were after Hill's party. Everything being quiet 
in the direction from which we expected Hill 
and the rest of the boys to come, we felt sure 
that our ruse had worked as well as we could 
have wished, and, on consultation, we concluded 
we could strike across the country and intercept 
Hill's party, as we were sure the Indians could 
not follow us in the dark ; so we mounted and 
trotted forward, laying our course to intercept 
them. We knew we were well ahead of them ; for 
they would travel slowly, and as silently as possi- 
ble, unless they were attacked or pursued, which 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 205 

latter, we were confident, was not tlie case, for 
we had heard no shooting or yelling in their 
direction. 

We moved on swiftly and silently till we 
thought we were near the line of their march ; 
then walked our horses, and, with strained ears, 
listened for any sound that would indicate their 
whereabouts. Soon we heard the footsteps of 
approaching horses. 

After listening closely for a few moments, we 
were satisfied Hill's party was coming, though it 
might be Indians, for no other than the sound of 
the horses' feet could be heard; and if it was 
Indians and we were discovered, we would have 
another run for it, and a stray shot might stop 
either of us. I said to White, " The boys know 
your coyote bark; give them a specimen of your 
powers." The still night air was pierced by the 
shrill sharp bark of a coyote, which sounded so 
natural that I, who well knew it came from 
White's lips, found myself looking around for a 
prairie wolf. 

The noise of the advancing footsteps ceased — 
again the sharp laughing bark; a moment later 
we heard the seeming whinney of a horse. Again 
the coyote, answered by the horse. 

This assured us that it was Hill's party, so we 
trotted forward toward them, and a moment later 
heard the welcome hail, "Who comes there?" 



2o6 Rejuinisceiiccs of an Old Timer. 

our answer being, " Hunter and White." We 
were soon shaking hands w^ith them, Captain 
Hill especially, who by this time had gained the 
confidence of our men, he being a really brave 
fellow, at least. 

All together again, we trotted briskly along 
for seven or eight hours putting some thirty 
miles between us and our last camping place, 
then stopped near the river till morning, to let 
our tired horses rest and eat and drink. As soon 
as it was clearly light we went back from the 
stream up a steep gulch and into some timber 
that crowned the ridge. This took us some miles 
from the river or creek; and here we again went 
into camp, proposing to pass the day there, unless 
the Indians persuaded us to move again. 

After eating our breakfast White proposed 
that eight or ten of us should go back two or 
three miles on the trail we had come, conceal our- 
selves near it, and await the coming of the 
Indians if they were following us (and we be- 
lieved they were). So we left Captain Hill and 
five men to look after our horses and the camp, 
while the other ten, headed by White and myself 
started back on our trail down the gulch or 
canyon. After going some thre-e miles we found 
a suitable place to form an ambush ; dividing our 
party. White with four of the boys took one side 
of the gulch, and I, with the other four, the other 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 207 

side. Concealing ourselves behind convenient 
rocks and trees, we lay down to await tlie coming 
of any one on our trail. There we lay watching 
till well into the after part of the day, when a 
low hiss warned all that some one was coming. 
We were all out of sight in a second, and as still 
as death. Soon we saw three Indians on foot 
cautiously following our trail up the gulch, and 
directly afterwards we saw thirty or forty others 
following slowly on horseback, some hundred of 
yards behind. 

It had been already arranged that in such a 
case those in the lead should be allowed to pass 
before we opened fire, and none of us were to 
show ourselves or shoot until I gave the signal. 
So we allowed the three footmen to pass on, 
which they did very slowly, watching the foot- 
prints of our horses. 

Soon the mounted Indians came up, and just 
as they were about to pass we opened fire on 
them. Crack, crack went our rifles, ten speak- 
ing at once ; then out whipped our deadly revolv- 
ers, speaking their pieces. Several Indians and 
horses went down at the first fire, but still the 
deadly fire continued from rock and tree on 
either side of them. This proved more than the 
nerves of the " noble red man " could stand, and 
without hardly exchanging a shot they retreated 
back down the gulch. The three that we had 



2o8 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

allowed to pass on foot took to the hills, firing at 
us as they ran, from tree to tree, and from rock 
to rock, finally making their escape. One of our 
boys was slightly wounded in the left arm, but 
the wound was so slight that it was deemed of 
no consequence. 

Five dead Indians and several killed and 
wounded ponies remained between our two fires, 
and we had positive evidence that other ponies 
had carried off some very sick Indians. 

We watched the trails till about dark, and as 
we saw no prospect of another audience we re- 
turned to the camp, told our little storj^, dressed 
our little wound, ate a hearty supper, posted a 
strong guard and got to our little beds, for we 
had decided to remain here till morning at all 
hazards. 

The night passed without any alarm, and after 
partaking of an early breakfast we concluded to 
remain where we were for a day or two unless 
we were molested, and to send out scouts to 
ascertain the movements of our sneaking foe. 
White and myself being very tired, Capt. Hill, 
with four of the boys, went down the gulch to 
guard the trails, and two or three of the others 
went in the other direction and stationed them- 
selves on elevated points as lookouts. At night 
all came in reporting having seen no Indians. 
So, as the night previous, we stationed our guards, 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 209 

and had a quiet night of it. The same mode of 
procedure was followed the next day, varied by 
a change of those on guard. In the afternoon 
White and two others went up the divide and 
killed three deer (game was plenty there) . To say 
this was a welcome addition to our larder would 
be unnecessary. That night we all made a 
hearty meal of the venison. 

As our stock of meats was running low, we 
determined to remain where we were and send 
out a party the next day to kill and bring in as 
many as they could, the meat of which we pro- 
posed to jerk for future use. Next morning, all 
being quiet, we arranged a signal to recall us to 
camp in case it was about to be attacked during 
our absence. This signal was to be the firing 
of a lot of pitch-wood and green boughs, prepared 
for the purpose, that would make such a dense 
smoke as to be easily seen and recognized by us. 

White and I selected five of the best shots in 
the party, and started up into the hills or mount- 
ains after game. 

I was convinced that the Indian scouts were 
watching our movements, and told the boys to 
keep a sharp lookout for skulking Indians, and 
that we had better keep well together, to be 
ready to help each other in case there should be 
need of it. 



2IO Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

After traveling two or three miles we found 
quite a drove of black-tailed deer. Getting within 
good rifle-range, we brought down four fine ones 
at the first round, and two more before they got 
out of gunshot. 

We went up, separated, and were busy cutting 
open our deer, when bang ! — whizz ! — crack ! — 
came three or four shots from behind some 
trees, some three hundred yards away, the bullets 
whistling uncomfortably near our ears. To grasp 
our trusty rifles and jump behind trees was the 
act we performed in much less time than it takes 
me to tell it; then silence reigned for awhile. 
White and I happened to be pretty close together, 
and were both of the opinion that there were but 
a few Indians in the party that had fired on us. 
We called to the other five to lie low and watch 
the point of timber from which we had been fired 
at, and we would drop back down the hill, crawl 
around and force the Indians from their cover. 
So, back and around we went, the others firing 
from time to time, as did the Indians, at long 
range. Soon White and I worked our way to 
their rear and into good range of the timber. We 
crawled up behind a large log, and soon my rifle 
spoke, and an Indian yelled and pitched forward 
on to his face. This told the Indians that they 
were taken " aback," and three or four of them 
sprang from behind their trees and made off; but 



Refninisceiices of an Old Timer. 211 

one of them had made only three or four jumps 
when White's gun rang a death-note ; an Indian's 
heels flew into the air — another ^(9^<3? Indian. 

We followed them up, jumping from tree to 
tree, till we were satisfied they had escaped ; 
then we returned to the dead Indians, secured 
what ammunition they had, broke their guns — 
as we had no use for such as they used — and 
went back to our dead deer. This time we were 
more careful, and placed two men out to guard 
us from an unexpected attack. 

After getting our deer ready we carried them 
to camp as fast as we could, and arriving there 
safely, told of our adventure and narrow escape. 
This warned all of us of the jeopardy we were 
in when we carelessly allowed ourselves to be 
taken unawares while in the vicinity of these 
marauding Indians — in fact within their country. 

The rest of that day and the next day was 
consumed in preparing our venison for future use. 

On the night of that day we determined to 
again visit Crooked river. Our horses were 
comparatively fresh, and after mounting we 
pushed forward. Reaching the stream we turned 
our course up, passed our former scene of action, 
and when it was nearly morning we found our- 
selves in a well-sheltered place, in thick brush 
on the bank of the stream. Here we dismounted 



212 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

and let our animals feast on the ricli bottom- 
grass, while the most of us slept some. 

After daylight we were soon aware that the Indi- 
ans were fully posted on our movements, as the 
hills around us were decked with them. So we 
concluded to move on toward the Malheur regard- 
less of their " funny business," and on we went 
at our leisure, keeping pretty well away from the 
brush, with one or two men well in front as an 
advance scout. Thus we slowly moved along 
till nightfall, then selecting a good place, we 
again encamped, put out our guards, and 
remained over night without molestation. 

The next day we worked similarly, but traveled 
only ten or twelve miles until we again went 
into camp. 

We were satisfied that the Indians were watch- 
ing us closely, and that at the first opportunity 
they would deal us a stinging, if not a fatal blow. 
But the opportunity we didn't propose to give, if 
it was in our power to prevent it. So, awhile 
after dark we mounted and took our back-trail to 
or past our camp of the night before. This only 
took two or three hours' time, and we again 
camped near the bushes, tying our horses — leav- 
ing the saddles on, and putting our guards near 
the trails ; for we believed the Indians were fol- 
lowing us constantl}^- and in large numbers, and 
that there were as many or more in front of us, 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 213 

for tlie purpose of making a concerted attack on 
us as soon as they thought there was a chance 
of success. One of our objects in watching the 
trail was to learn, if possible, how many there 
were trailing us, and, if there were not too many 
of them, to attack them suddenly. On the con- 
trary, if their number should prove too great, we 
would remount and be off as fast as possible. 

Just before day our watchmen saw about 
a hundred mounted Indians pass. As soon 
as they were well out of hearing we mounted, 
having on consultation concluded that it would 
not be safe to "tackle" so large a party, espe- 
cially when we knew they were prepared for us. 
Silently and swiftly we counter-marched, believ- 
ing that all — or nearly all — of our Indian hosts 
were behind us. 

We pushed on rapidly during the rest of the 
night and till nine or ten o'clock the next day 
when we went into camp, having found a con- 
venient place, or one that we deemed secure. 
Here we remained some days, closely watching 
the movements of our foe, and as closely watched 
by them. We often sent out scouts to try and 
find small parties of the Indians that we dared 
"tackle." Bach night we could see by their 
signal-fires where the main body of the scoun- 
drels were. 



214 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

It was now a game of "hide and seek" with 
both the Indians and ourselves, and continued 
so for some weeks, as the Indians had become as 
wary as we. At times we exchanged shots at a 
long distance. We changed our camping-place 
almost daily, sometimes in one direction, some- 
times another. 

Finally, our provision and ammunition running 
low, we determined to try for Canyon City ; and 
this we believed would be a critical move, as we 
feared the Indians would divine our intentions, 
ambush the trails and waylay us. 

After dark one night we lightened our packs 
of all superfluous articles, and at the word, 
started at a ratling pace, taxing our horses to 
their utmost speed and endurance during the 
entire night, and well on to the noon of the fol- 
lowing day, when we stopped for a short time 
to let our tired horses rest and feed, and partook 
of such provisions as we had left ourselves. 
After a few hours we again mounted and went, 
never drawing rein till we had put over a hun- 
dred miles between us and the camp we had left 
the night before. 

Then we camped, fearing no further danger 
from the noble sons of the forest that we thought 
we had " left in the shade." 

Our camp was at the edge of a mountain 
meadow. These are formed, as old timers be- 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 215 

lieve, by beaver-dams and by drift wood gorging 
at tbe lower end of a broad space between foot- 
bills, deadening the current and consequently 
securing a deposit of soil from the adjacent hills. 
The small stream maintains for the most part 
its channel under this unsubstantial deposit, and 
in places very deep holes are found full of spark- 
ling water and abounding with mountain trout 
from three inches to a foot in length. But as I 
am not preaching geology, I will relate that we 
found several pools, or holes, and some of the men 
" lured the wiley trout " with success that would 
have gladdened the hearts of men less hungry 
than we. 

This must have been the place we read of 
where it took two men to unhook the fish as fast 
as one could catch them. We had fish for sup- 
per and fish for breakfast, and, although it was 
not lent, we had fish for dinner, because our 
loaves were few. 

A few days afterward we reached Canyon City, 
without further adventure, where we were well 
received, feted, paid off, and discharged. 



CHAPTER XV. 

Tribute to a Deceased Comrade — Mining at Canyon City, 
Oregon — In the Boise Basin — The Ashy Combination of 
a Miner's Safe Fails to Work on the "Dead Man " — A 
Destitute Widow Among Strangers — The Hunt for 
Brothers — First Masonic Funeral in Idaho — A INIasonic 
Donation Party — "Atoning for Cussedness " — "A Wild 
Goose Chase " — Caught Out by Mountain Fever— Hos- 
pitable Mormons — Simplicity — A Delectable Grass 
Widow's Account of Her Former Domestic Troubles. 
Wife No. 2 the Cause — "Bro. Brigham's" Decree — Too 
Much Drama — Mormon Samaritans — Pungent Suggest- 
ions on Sects and Professions — The Story of The Old Timer 
and St. Peter— The (Building) Rock of Salvation. 

IN a short time after our disbandment, I took 
leave of Bill White for the last time. Years 
afterward I learned that he had returned to the 
Willamette valley, married and settled down to 
farming. The small-pox broke out in his neigh- 
borhood, and the people being unable to procure 
nurses who would risk nursing those af&ictedwith 
this loathsome disease, White, in the nobleness 
of his heart, and with his old time self-sacrificing 

(216) 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 217 

spirit, volunteered as a nurse for tlie afflicted ; con- 
tracted the disease, and died of it soon afterward. 

And so this old timer laid down his life, after 
passing through many dangers and trials, but 
his memory remained with his old comrades, 
never to be effaced while life lasts. And when 
they heard of his untimel}^ end, they realized 
that this last sacrifice was the crowning act of 
a life of heroism. 

Poor Bill ! Your cheek has for the last time 
turned pale as you have gazed upon wounded, 
dying, and dead comrades; your fiery eyes are 
closed. Your nervous grasp has been returned 
for the last time ; your lips have uttered the last 
war-cry; you have issued your last cheering 
words of command that inspired your comrades 
to acts of daring, in the defense of the weak and 
unprotected. 

I then entered into a copartnership with one 
Doctor Price, by buying into a mining claim; 
took charge of the outfit and ran it, making con- 
siderable money. But my mind would revert to 
the dear ones that I had laid in the silent graves. 
I became restless and weary of this plodding life, 
and longed for excitement of some kind to detract 
my thoughts from the past with its bright morn- 
ing and dear recollections. So I sold out to my 
partner, and mounting my trusty horse started 
for Boise and other newly discovered mining 



2i8 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

camps in Idaho. Reaching this basin I found 
one of my elder brothers engaged in mining near 
Placerville. Within a few days I struck good 
diggings and settled down to work for a short 
time. Soon after I arrived in camp, my brother 
sold out and returned to Shoalwater Bay. 

Here I will relate an anecdote to illustrate the 
way miners would hide their wealth. It appears 
that a short time before I came to the camp my 
brother had buried near his cabin some $2,500 
in gold dust. He had sold out, and was await- 
ing his pay when I arrived in camp. Shortly 
after he got the money for his claim, and one 
morning came to where I was working and said : 
"Come, George! I have got my money and 
have bought a horse, and am all ready to start for 
home to see Sally (his wife). Come, and see me 
off! " We went to the cabin and fixed up the 
money he had just received for his claim in 
purses, putting the purses in a belt that was 
made for the purpose. Then he said: "Now I'll 
go and raise my ' dead man ' " (meaning the money 
he had buried), and, taking a sluice-fork, he 
went out. After he had been gone for some time 
he returned, with the sweat pouring from his 
brow, saying : " I have been robbed ! " 

I asked him how that was, and he said: "I 
buried my money at the end of that log, j ust as 
day was breaking one morning, and came and 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 219 

got a pan of ashes and tlirew them on the spot 
to mark it. Just afterward a man came along 
inquiring for a stray horse ; he must have been 
watching me, and has come in the night and dug 
it up ; for I have dug all around where I buried 
it, and it ain't there." 

Finally, I prevailed on him to show me where 
he had buried it, though he said, " It's no use — 
it's gone ! Do you think I'm a fool, or crazy, 
that I do not know where I put my money ? " I 
believed he had made a mistake, but he wouldn't 
have it so, saying : "If you can find it, you may 
have it." He pointed to a part of a tree that had 
been cut down and the top used for wood. This 
tree, or log, lay with the butt toward the cabin ; 
he said he had buried the dust in a can about 
ten feet from the top-end of this log, afterward 
returning with the ashes and throwing them over 
the place. 

" Did you find the ashes when you came in 
search of the can?" I asked. He said, "Yes." 
I saw at a glance that he had made a thorough 
search at the end of this log ; but, on glancing 
around, I saw another similar log some distance 
away with its top-end pointing toward the cabin, 
and went to it, my brother asking if I supposed 
he was such a fool as not to know at which log 
he had buried the can? " Don't know yet," said 
I, as I measured off about ten feet from the end of 



220 Reminiscences of a7i Old Timer. 

the log. One or two scrapes with the sluice-fork 
uncovered the can ; and, as I lifted it out, its heft 
assured me that it contained gold-dust. I said : 
" Here, John, is your gold." " No ! " said he ; 
" that's not mine ; I buried my dust at the end 
of the other log ; " but, after awhile, he was con- 
vinced it was his, and concluded that after bury- 
ing it he had forgotten which log it was near, 
while going to the cabin for the ashes, which he 
had thrown at the end of the wrong one, and 
thus " lost the combination of his safe." 

Left alone among strangers, the spirit of wan- 
dering soon took hold of me again. Thinking 
to allay this mania, I concluded one morning to 
visit a neighboring town (Centreville) some ten 
miles distant. 

On my arrival at Centreville, almost the first 
man I met was an old Masonic friend, named 
Owsley, a good physician, who had come to this 
camp some time before. On meeting and ex- 
changing greetings, Owsley said, " You are, 
above all others, the very man I am glad to meet 
just now." 

Thinking the doctor was probably "short," I 
put my hand to my pocket ; seeing my move he 
said, " No, George, not that ! The facts are that 
a man has died in a cabin just out of town leav- 
ing a wife and three small children entirely des- 
titute, and far from their home and friends." He 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 221 

told me the man's name was Slade, and that lie 
was from Yreka, California ; that he had come 
into the camp a few weeks before, with a yoke of 
oxen and a light wagon, taking sick, he had sold 
the team and wagon, and consumed the proceeds 
in providing for his family while he was sick, 
finally dying, leaving the family destitute as be- 
fore stated. That Slade had made himself known 
to him as a Master Mason, and had given him 
his Masonic pin, and the name and number of 
his Lodge, and requested him to do all in his 
power to assist the family ; that he (Owsley) had 
attended Slade during his sickness. 

" Now," said the doctor, " You are fertile in 
resources and a good worker, and you must help 
me out." I said, "Let us visit the cabin;" we 
did so, and I found the distressed family in a 
miner's cabin which was built of logs, the door 
was of split boards or shakes ; in one corner was 
a fire-place and chimney of sticks and mud, posts 
had been driven into the ground, and on these 
had been made a platform of poles, over which 
was strewed fir boughs, making a regular miner's 
bunk. Lying on one of these bunks, with a few 
blankets under him, I saw what was left of Slade, 
while sitting around the fire were the sorrowing 
widow and children and Mrs. Dr. Owsley. 

After taking a good look at the corpse, I said, 
"Doctor there seems something familiar to me 



222 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

in that countenance, and if I had seen tlie man 
in healtH I should probably have known him." 
As I said this I felt a hand laid lightly on my 
arm, and turning, I saw Mrs. Slade standing be- 
side me. "Is not this George Hunter?" she 
asked ; I answered " Yes ! " And she asked, " Did 
you not know William Slade who used to edit 
the Yreka paper years ago ? " I answered, " Yes ! 
and you were Miss Brown, of Jacksonville; quite 
a young girl, when I saw you last! " She said, 
"Yes ; " then pointing to her dead husband, said 
" George, this and these dear children are all that 
is left me in this wide world, and God only knows 
what will become of them and me for I am en- 
tirely without means, even to bury my poor dead 
husband, much less to clothe and feed my chil- 
dren." The tears streamed down her wan 
cheeks as she said this. 

I took her hand and said : " Mrs. Slade, do 
not distress yourself about financial affairs ; you 
have sufficient to do to comfort these poor orphan 
children ; leave the rest to the doctor and my- 
self, and rest assured that all will be done for 
your husband that you could wish, and you and 
your children will be cared for. There are 
hundreds of big, warm hearts near you, and 
when they are made aware of your troubles, they 
will sympathize with and assist you and yours 
to their utmost ability." 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 223 

Slie replied, "The doctor has already assured 
me of these things ; but I can only realize that I 
am left alone with these poor children and this 
my dead husband." 

Then, dropping on to her knees, and laying her 
weary head on the unthrobbing breast of him 
who had been her stay and support, she cried, 
" Alone ! Oh, God, all alone ! " 

Well, this was too much for me, an old timer. 
After wringing Mrs. Owsley's hand and kissing 
the babies, I hurriedly left the cabin, as I feared 
that if I remained longer I might " slop over " 
myself. Owsley followed me. Nothing was 
said till w^e reached the upper end of Main 
street. Here we concluded to part, each taking 
a side of the street in search of " Brothers " 
belonging to our fraternity. 

I will try to describe my progress which, I pre- 
sume, was duplicated by the doctor. The first 
house I visited was a large saloon, wherein were 
several "moneyed" tables around which were 
many miners, packers and others, engaged in 
" fighting the tiger " and similar games. It was 
" chips for dust " and " dust for chips " all 
around the hall. I approached the bar and 
ordered something, at the same time — in my 
owm way — inviting as many other fellows to join 
me as stood in need of refreshments, thus soon 



224 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

attracting the attention of man}^ of tliose pres- 
ent. Among them was Joe Oldham, a brother 
of the famed Sim Oldham, of California. 

Joe was a tall, straight, fine-looking man — a 
sporting man by profession, and a saloonkeeper. 
He approached me with the others, and stepping 
aside asked me, if I wished to speak -with them. 
I replied: " Yes. Upon my arrival in this place 
an hour or so ago, I met Doctor Owsley, a Brother, 
who informed me that he had been attending 
professionally upon a Brother who had recently 
arrived from Yreka, and that the patient died 
during the previous night, leaving his widow 
and three small children destitute and friend- 
less in a cabin near by. Now, the doctor and 
myself are looking for Brothers, and we hope 
those we find will seek for others, and meet us 
in some hall here, where I will institute a Lodge of 
Instruction (or Investigation), when we will pro- 
ceed to give the deceased a decent interment, and 
provide for the widow and orphans." 

Oldham and myself then went to a store and 
ordered such things as were required for the 
immediate use of the family. Then we inter- 
ested some sporting-women, who repaired to the 
cabin and sewed for the family, closing their 
houses till after the funeral. There were no 
other women near at this time, except Mrs. 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 225 

Owsley and the broken-down and grief-stricken 
widow. 

For the rest of the day and night the hunt for 
Brothers went bravely on throughout the sur- 
rounding camps. There were no lodges in these 
camps as yet. 

The next morning at ten o'clock a saloon- 
keeper stopped his business and gave us the use 
of his house to arrange matters in. There we 
met, some eighty odd Brothers, dressed in woolen 
shirts and patched pants. 

After making the necessary examinations, we 
" clothed " ourselves in white pocket handker- 
chiefs in lieu of the proper aprons, and repaired 
to the cabin. We had prepared as good a cof&n 
as could be gotten up in such a place, and the 
family were dressed in appropriate mourning. 

Forming in procession, we repaired to an 
adjacent mound and there gave our Brother the 
usual Masonic burial, with all of its rites, etc. 

Then we returned to our improvised hall, 
placed a table in the centre of the room with gold 
scales, a blower and a purse on it, stating that 
all Brothers had been made aware of the desti- 
tute circumstances of the widow and orphans, 
and asked that all would perform their duty. We 
then formed in line and marched around the hall ; 
as a Brother came up to the table he would select 
a weight and balance it with gold dust, put the 



226 Reminiscences of an Old Ti7ner. 

dust in the purse and move on, giving place to 
another. Oldham marched immediatel}^ in front 
of me, and as he came to the table, he pulled out 
a purse of some hundreds of dollars ; carefully 
untied it, then poured the contents into the 
blower, shook the purse and dropped it on the 
dust, turned and said as he shook my hand — the 
tears trinkliug off his long mustache, " Brother 
George, we can do something to atone for our 
cussedness, can't we?" 

This settled it ; I did not take time to untie my 
purse ; my ej^es being rather dim at the time ; I 
suppose caused by a bad cold that I had con- 
tracted a short time before, I just dropped what 
I had and passed on, as many others did. Suffice 
it to say, that on all being weighed, we found 
after paying all the expenses, we had a purse that 
we presented to the widow of nearly three 
thousand dollars. This purse, Owsley, Oldham, 
and myself were delegated to carry to the widow, 
which we did, and upon our presenting it to her 
she utterly refused to take it as she said it was 
too much to accept from strangers. But after we 
had explained that if she did not take and use 
the money for herself and children we would be 
forced to appoint guardians for the children, who 
would take and care for them and that which 
was donated to and for them, their use and 
benefit; our arguments prevailed and she accepted 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 227 

the generous aid, and within a few days started 
in the care of a Brother for her distant home and 
friends. 

I tell this as another illustration of the 
generosity of old timers, and I have no idea that 
the same thing could be accomplished among any 
other class of men in any country, unless it 
would be for the benefit of the widow and orphans 
of some dead millionaire; and not then, unless it 
could be voted out of the public coffers that had 
been filled by the hard earnings of the working 
class. 

Soon after this, I returned to Placerville and 
my claim, more restless than ever. Sold out, 
bought two teams and started with ten or twelve 
passengers, for the Snake river diggings. 

We followed up the Snake river some hun- 
dreds of miles and across the Rocky mountains. 
At last as we could not hear anything more of the 
location of these mines we became satisfied that 
the rumors we had heard applied to the Stinking 
water mines, in Montana. These mines were on 
Black Alder creek or Stinking water. Upon said 
creek are located the towns Virginia City and 
Nevada City. The stream empties into the 
Beaver head, and this was a rich paying camp. 
More of this camp anon. 

On arriving at this conclusion, and winter 
coming on, we turned and started for Salt Lake, 



228 Remmiscences of an Old Timer. 

for winter quarters. Soon tlie snow became deep, 
and to reach Salt Lake we were forced in many 
places to shovel snow to get our teams through 
the drifts. Being wet and cold, day after day, I 
took a severe cold, which resulted finally in 
mountain or lung fever. 

On reaching Farmington, a town near Salt 
Lake City, I had become so ill that I could not 
bear the jolt of the wagon, and upon our going 
into camp one evening I asked our boys to go to 
a house near by, a long low adobe building, and 
see if the owner would not allow me to stay over 
night, and if I was not better the next morning 
remain with him until my friends could reach 
Camp Douglass (near Salt Lake City), and send 
out a doctor. And until I got able to be moved 
on to the city or the camp. 

To ask was to be received, I was assisted into 
the house, and furnished a bed. I had a purse 
of gold dust of some twelve hundred dollars with 
me, which I placed under my pillow. On lying 
down I told a young man, a brother Mason, that 
if I was not better next morning, he should take 
my teams on to Salt Lake City, and put the 
horses on a ranch, go himself to Camp Douglass, 
and send an army doctor out to me. 

As I had heard so much of Mormons I was 
not willing to trust myself to a Mormon doctor's 
care. 



Reminiscences of mi Old Timer. 229 

Wlien morning came I was out of my head, so 
my instructions were carried out, and the next 
evening Dr. Williams of General Connor's divi- 
sion, which was garrisoning Camp Douglass at 
this time, came out to see me ; finding me, as he 
said, in a critical condition. He gave me the 
medicines needed and gave instructions to the 
nurses that attended me. 

Taking my pocket book with him, in which 
were some letters and other papers that would en- 
able him to commune with my friends if occasion 
should require, he returned to his post. 

The name of the family that I stopped with 
was Dixon. Dixon had three wives and several 
grown daughters, among whom was one named 
Samantha, a young widow, who had two children. 
She was divorced from her husband ; cause, cruel 
treatment. I call Samantha's name, because she 
was my principal nurse throughout my stay 
with this pleasant family, though all of them 
were kindness itself On my return to conscious- 
ness I found that Samantha had taken my purse 
and put it away, as she said there were so many 
strangers coming to see me, she didn't deem it 
safe where I had put it. She had told the doctor 
what she had done. From the hour that I was 
taken to the house there was not any length of 
time but there was a woman sitting at the bed- 
side, ready to respond to my slightest request. 



230 Reviiyiiscences of an Old Timer. 

As I grew better I used to remonstrate, telling 
them I could call if I required anything. They 
said it took one or more of them continually to 
sew for the family, and they could do so there as 
well as anywhere. 

Many were the pleasant hours I passed convers- 
ing with these friendly women. The elder ladies 
would read the book of Mormon, and the account 
of what they called " the death of the martyr " — 
Joe Smith, the Mormon prophet — while tears 
trinkled down their cheeks. Samantha would, 
hour after hour, tell me of Mormon beliefs, and 
the goodness of" Brother Brigham," as she called 

him. 

At one time I asked her what was the cause 
of her separation from her husband. (I had be- 
fore this told her of my misfortune in losing my 
wife and child, which I suppose placed us on a 
more friendly footing than we would have been 
otherwise.) She said: "My husband and I lived 
together pleasantly until he took another wife. 
His latter wife was a young Danish woman. She 
would tell our husband stories about me, and 
finally alienated him and his love from me and 
my children. Things grew worse and worse, 
until he struck me, which led me to apply for a 
divorce." 

Then I said: "You certainly do not believe in 
polygamy." She said : " All men are not alike. 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 231 

'Brother Brigham,' on our being brought before 
Him, told my husband that a man that would 
abuse his first wife was not fit to have a second 
one, and that he would give me a divorce, to- 
gether with the one-half of the property. My 
husband could take the other half of our prop- 
erty and his 'sealed wife,' with the assurance 
that he could never have another woman bound 
to him so long 'as the last wife lived.' " She 
said that she was as firm a believer in the Mor- 
mon faith as ever. In these friendly discourses 
I passed the tedious time, until I could be 
removed to Camp Douglass. 

Upon taking leave of this Mormon family I 
tendered them pay, which Dixon firmly refused, 
saying that it was part of the Mormon religion 
to take care of the sick. Seeing that it was use- 
less to argue with him, I took a friendly leave of 
this people, and when the holidays came around 
I remunerated them, to some extent, with pres- 
ents for the family. 

Arriving at Camp Douglass I made my tem- 
porary home with an ex-Mormon family by the 
name of Morris — -the widow of Morris, the " dis- 
senter," who had been killed the winter before. 
While here, I from day to day went to the 
city, about a mile distant, and there made the 
acquaintance of another Mormon family, by the 
name of Cabbel. Cabbel was an old man, a 



232 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

New Yorker, wlio Had been in Salt Lake City 
some two years. He being a brother Mason, a 
warm friendsbip sprung up between us. I used 
frequently to take meals with his hospitable 
family when I was in town. 

On m}^ arrival at the city I purchased a season 
ticket for the theatre, and, being a great lover of 
the drama, I would at all hazards attend each 
night. This resulted in a severe cold and a 
relapse. On again calling Doctor Williams, he 
ordered me to the hospital, which was full of 
sick soldiers. Some three or four days after my 
admission to the hospital, I saw a white head bob- 
bing by the side of Doctor Williams, coming 
toward my cot. This proved to be Brother Cab- 
bel, who said, when he came up to me : '* My 
wife and the girls have been telling me for a day 
or so that you were sick again, and would not 
give me any peace until I came up to see after 
you." He continued : "I have a sleigh outside 
and plenty of wraps, and I am going to take you 
home with me. Mother is outside." 

Doctor Williams assured me that this was the 
best thing that I could do. As there were so 
many sick and dying in the hospital, I couldn't 
receive the care I required where I was ; that it 
was nursing I needed more than anything else ; 
that he could visit me as often as it would be 
necessary in the city, as well as in the camp. 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 233 

So, I was taken to the home of this kind Mor- 
mon, and nursed into good health. 

As I had been led to believe Mormons all to 
be devils from what I had read and heard, the 
kind treatment that I had received at their 
hands caused me to believe that the devil was 
not nearly so black as he had been represented 
to be. 

A short time after I had fully recovered I sold 
my teams, and engaged to carry the express to 
Bast Bannack and Virginia City, Montana, 
which I did in company with another man. The 
snow was deep when we started for Boxelder, 
some forty miles out from the city. This far we 
drove a stage, and from thence carried the mail- 
matter in par fleches^ or pouches made of raw- 
hide, hung on pack-saddles, and lashed fast with 
ropes. 

Upon my taking leave of Doctor Williams 
and the Cabbels and Dixons, I could not help 
thinking that there were good people among all 
classes — Mormons, Catholics, Protestants, miners, 
soldiers, and even harlots, and that God in his 
goodness would not refuse such His free and full 
pardon for offenses, more or less of which others' 
acts, or circumstances, had forced upon them ; 
and that He would, for the good they had done, 
welcome them to that home " not made with 
hands, eternal in the heavens." 



234 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

As I close this, au old Californian by the name 
of White, who has been reading as I was writing, 
tells the following story, which illustrates my 
ideas more forcibly than I can write them. 

As White tells it, there was a very wicked 
man, he would swear, gamble and cheat, give to 
the widow and the poor, and comfort the orphan. 
Among the many charitable things done by him, 
he had given from a stone-quarr}^ that belonged 
to him sufficient stone to build a church. When 
this man died. White says, he appeared before 
Saint Peter and the devil, who were weighing 
the good and bad deeds of newly arrived aspir- 
ants for heaven. White's man's turn coming, it 
was for awhile a " close shave." Peter would 
put into his side of the scale a good deed — the 
devil on his a bad one. On went the work, first 
one side up, then the other, as the good and bad 
deeds fell into the scales on their respective sides. 
The devil at last threw a bundle of the bad on 
his side, and down went the scale. All appeared 
lost, when Peter thought of the rock given to 
build the church. He threw the whole business 
on the scale ! Up came the devil's, and down 
went Peter's side, not to be raised again. And 
so, another old timer was saved. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

Carrying the Virginia and Bannack Express — The McGruder 
Murder — ' ' Vigilantes' ' — Our Prospecting Party — Un- 
expectedly Attacked — My Bedfellow Never Awakens — 
Myself Wounded — Unknown, and in an Unknown Grave 
—A Thirty-foot Fall Down a Shaft — A ' Wayfaring 
Trooper Gets "Underground" Aid — His Captain in Pur- 
suit — They Bought Some Extras, "Because They Were 
Cheap." — The Trooper Volunteers to Look After Extras 
— 'Wayfarers — An "Introduction Scarcely Ex- 
pected" — "Mosquitoes Had Something to Do With It" 
— Fine Trouting— The Trail to Kootenia — "All About 
Them 'Skeeters"— " A Bluffer Bluffed, on the Rim 
Rock" — Arrested In the Name Of "Her Majesty" — 
Documentary Evidence a Good Defense — British Law 
and Subjects — Ho For Web-foot — Oregon As It Was — 
Marriage Bells and Dutch Justice — The Cook — The Sweat 
Cloth and "Boston"— He Staid With the Bit. 

FROM Salt Lake City to East Bannack and 
thence to Virginia City, a distance of some 
four hundred miles, parallel with the Rocky 
mountains, which we crossed on the way. We 
made reasonable time, taking into consideration 
the snow and other obstructions. 

(235) 



236 Reminiscences 0/ an Old Timer. 

At Virginia City or Stinking water we heard 
all about the Vigilantes' operations of the fall 
before. 

It appears that one McGruder, of Lewiston, 
Idaho, had taken a pack-train from the latter 
place to Stinking water mines, taking with him 
some men from Lewiston. 

On his (McGruder's) selling out his goods 
some of these men returned with him a part of 
the way. Reaching a lonely part of the mountains 
they killed McGruder in camp and one of them 
rode his favorite mule back to Lewiston. They 
went on to San Francisco where they were cap- 
tured, brought back to Lewiston, tried and hung 
— except one Page who turned state's evidence. 
Page was killed some years after in a brawl. 

There were many hung at Bast Bannack, 
Virginia City and Nevada City; among them, 
Sheriff Plummer, Boon Helm, Dutch Slade and 
several others. 

Soon after my arrival I joined a party of eight, 
myself making the ninth, and started out pros- 
pecting. 

We went down the Beaver Head and across the 
mountains, to the Prickly Pear countr}-, east of 
where Helena now is. Nothing occurred worthy of 
note until we got into the Yellowstone country. 
Here we camped one night near a small stream, 
that cut a deep channel through the loose soil 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 237 

near a bluff. We liad supper, then staked and 
hobbled our horses out to graze just under the 
bluff, then lay down for the night. 

As we had not seen any sign of Indians or 
heard of any hostilities we had no thought of 
danger. My bedfellow was one Raymond if I 
remember; we were sleeping in our blankets aa 
were the rest, around our camp-fire. Just as day 
was breaking we were all aroused by the firing oi 
guns and the yells of Indians from the top of the 
bluff, I said "all;" but Raymond, poor fellow, 
was just being awakened, as a rifle-ball killed 
him by my side as we lay in our blankets. 

I felt a sharp sting in my thigh. It required 
but a glance to take in the situation. Hurriedly 
we tumbled the grub, blankets and saddles into 
the bed of the creek which protected us from the 
fire from the bluff above. Myself and one other, 
after a hurried consultation with the others, con- 
cluded to get the horses, as it would be sure 
death to be left afoot. Directing the others to 
keep up a brisk fire at the top of the bluff, we, 
when all was ready, started and ran as fast as we 
could to our horses, cut the picket ropes and 
hobbles ; my comrade mounted the bell horse, 
I another, whipping the others ahead of us ; we 
dashed away keeping well under the bluff for 
some distance and until we were assured we 
were out of range of the guns on the cliff, then 



238 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

we made for the gulch and in to the deep cut, 
then led them up to our camp where we had left 
the rest of the party. We dragged the remains 
of our dead companion into the gulch and buried 
him under some rocks and gravel. Another vic- 
tim of the "noble red man's" hospitality; another 
old timer had " passed in his checks ; " another 
daring, brave and energetic frontiersman had 
sunk his last prospect hole, and without a mo- 
ment's time -allowed him to implore the aid or 
forgiveness of God, was cut down in the bloom of 
youth, and hurried to that " undiscovered coun- 
try." No relative stood near to close his dying 
eyes. As he had nothing upon his person that 
gave us the address of his family or friends, and 
we were not sure that we had even his right 
name, we had no means of communicating with 
his kindred and friends, and as many pioneers 
had been and many more were, we left him in 
an unknown grave, saddled up and started away, 
following the gulch or ravine some distance ; then 
we struck across the country, on our return to 
Stinking water. Getting eight or ten miles from 
the place of attack, we came to a small stream of 
cool water, and as we had not seen anything of 
the Indians following us, I got off my horse 
and told the others I would look after my pet. 
Pulling off my boot I found it and the sock satu- 
rated with blood which had flown from a deep 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 239 

flesh wound in my thigh. This was the first 
intimation any of the others had of my being 
hurt. As it was not painful, I wrapped some 
pieces of cloth around the leg, then saturated it 
with cold water. We filled our canteens and 
moved on. As we now had evidence of the hos- 
tilities of the Indians, we made the best time we 
could for Virginia City. As I kept the wound 
in my thigh wet with cold water, and a small 
piece of rusty bacon thrust into the openings to 
keep them from healing too soon, I suffered but 
little inconvenience during our return trip. 

Upon our return to Black Alder, or Stinking 
water I engaged in mining. Hiring out to a 
party of eleven men to run a drain-race to their 
claim under the stream. 

After working a couple of months I started 
one day down a shaft to see some timbers put in, 
when the rope gave way, and I fell some thirty 
feet to the bottom, bruising me up very severely. 
This laid me up for some weeks. 

Just at this time a man came along with whom 
I had got acquainted at Camp Douglass, by the 
name of Doc Vanvalsey. " Van," as he was 
called, was an old 'forty-niner. He had passed 
through many hardships, and led a wandering 
life, and at last found himself at Salt Lake City, 
flat broke. Being too proud to beg, he enlisted 
in Connor's division at Camp Douglass. A warm 



240 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

friendship had sprung up between Van and my- 
self while I was at Salt Lake, he being a brother 
Mason. Some time after I left Salt Lake he had 
a difficulty with a young " doughboy " infantry 
lieutenant, finally ending his relations with 
Uncle Samuel's business man by striking him 
on the head with the hilt of his saber. He then 
sprang on to his cavalry horse and skipped for a 
more healthy camp. After getting well away 
he left his horse and saber to be returned to his 
Captain (Smith), got in with some teamsters, 
and came on to Virginia City, where he heard 
that he could find me, and made his appear- 
ance at the cabin where I yvas lying at the time 
bruised and broken from my recent fall. He 
told me all about his trouble. I called the fore- 
man of the company (the Nevada Company) to 
me and related Van's story to him, and he re- 
peated it to the others of the compan3^ Van 
was sure there were soldiers following him under 
command of the lieutenant that he had polished 
off with his saber, and said he was not at all 
anxious to return to Camp Douglass, as they 
had a bad "breast complaint" there, and the 
pills they prescribed for the complaint he had 
been attacked with would prove very hard to 
digest ; so he preferred to stay where he was. 
All of the company being Masons instead of 
soldiers, and being in need of workmen, they 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 241 

hired Van to run a car in the drifts ; and, as his 
clothes were much like those worn by soldiers, 
and quite unfit for underground work, he bor- 
rowed a suit from one of the boys and repaired 
to the drifts ; and so great was his care for the 
interests of his employers that he never left the 
drifts from daylight till dark. 

Soon after Van's appearance Captain Smith 
came up to our camp. He had heard of me as 
Van had. Smith, in conversation with me, said : 
" Hunter, we heard of Van's coming up this 
creek; and I believe, as does the lieutenant, that 
you know where Van is. That is your business; 
but I'm afraid it would go hard with Van if he 
was caught ; and this lieutenant will catch him, 
if Van hasn't some good friend that will help 
him out of the country." The captain took din- 
ner with us, shook hands, and returned to 
Virginia City, where a detachment was camped 
on the watch for Van. 

A few days later, four of the company sold 
out to their partners, and I with them determined 
to start for Fisherville, a new mining-camp, 
struck on Studhorse creek in British Columbia, 
some five hundred miles distant. 

These four men's names were Brents, Roarer 
and two Scott brothers. The Scott brothers and 
Brents repaired to town to purchase horses for 
the trip. We would require for the trip five 

16 



242 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

riding-liorses and three or four for packing; but 
as they had a chance to buy in a lot cheap, they 
took all the party had, which was six riding- 
horses with riding-saddles, and five others, with 
aparajos for packing. The same party that sold 
them this outfit having a large supply of guns 
and pistols, they bought one of each for each of 
the five of us, and were presented with an extra 
gun and revolver, as a mark of great respect, 
from the gentleman they had bought of 

On their return with the horses and an entire 
outfit to last the party to Kootenia or Fishers, 
the weather being warm, we concluded to go a 
short distance that night. 

Just as we were shaking hands with our other 
friends. Van said, that as we had an extra horse, 
saddle, gun and pistol, and as he had never been 
in " Her Majesty's possessions," he believed he 
would accompany us. We having plenty of 
grub, and Van being a thorough good fellow, 
we could not find it in our hearts to refuse 
his slight request. 

All being ready, we took leave of our friends, 
and rode swiftly away in the dark for the new 
Eldorado. 

Near morning we reached Beaver Head, rested 
a short time, and then went on our way from 
day to day; crossed the Big Hole river, and on 
to the head of Deer Lodge river, passing on 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 243 

down this stream to near the mouth of Little 
Blackfoot, or near Grant's place, where we 
stopped a day to fish and rest. 

Evening came, and just as we were sitting 
down to supper, Captain Smith came riding up 
to us, and after giving and receiving friendly- 
salutations, dismounted, sat down and partook 
of our meal. He told us that he had come in 
company with "our" lieutenant, and that he was 
encamped a mile or so above Grant's, on the 
Deer Lodge ; that he (Smith) had come on ahead 
to see after provisions, etc., at Grant's, and hear- 
ing of us and our camp, concluded to come on 
and see us before he returned to his camp. 

Smith didn't appear to recognize Van. We 
were careless in those days, and didn't introduce 
him — in fact, I don't think it was expected. 

After we had finished our supper, the captain 
said he would return to his command, and if we 
did not start too early in the morning, he would 
join us, and most likely keep company with us 
for some time. 

We told him we thought most likely we would 
move on that night, as the mosquitoes were not 
as bad in the night as they were in the daytime. 
He said the lieutenant had frequently suggested 
the same thing, but he was not fond of night- 
rides, and should not attempt one for a few days 
if he could help it. He then bid us good night. 



244 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

We were soon on the road, and making good 
time. This was the last we heard of our soldier- 
friends. 

Day after day we kept on our journey, passing 
Hellgate and the old mission on the Jocko, and 
on to Flathead lake. 

Here we again stopped for a few days, fishing 
and hunting and letting our horses rest, as we 
had traveled rather fast for some days. At 
this lake the Pen d'Oreille river or Clark's Fork of 
the Columbia takes its source. The river is 
about two hundred yards wide at the outlet of 
the lake, runs calmly for a few hundred yards, 
then goes bounding over rocks forming pools as 
it passes down the rapids, for a half a mile or so, 
and here we had some of the finest trout fishing 
that I ever had in my life, these trout were of 
the species known as salmon or lake trout, 
weighing from one to ten pounds. After enjoy- 
ing ourselves here, we started around the lake fol- 
lowing its margin until we reached its northern 
boundary where we left it and struck out across 
the tobacco plains ; going north to the Kootenia 
river following up this stream to the mouth of 
Studhorse creek then up the latter to Fisherville, 
our final destination. 

This newly discovered camp was a flourishing 
one. This trip I reckon as the most miserable 
of my life, on account of the mosquitoes and 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 245 

horse flies. In fact there were multiplied acres 
of them, and they would hit a person " business 
end foremost " every time, and " stick to him like 
a brother " or hard luck in a played out mining 
camp. 

The reader will draw some idea of the misery 
these pests" can inflict, when I say that they 
would measure a foot to the square inch, if con- 
densed. We were compelled to build " smudges" 
or smokes with logs fired and covered with green 
bushes and dirt. Our horses would come and 
stand for hours with their heads over these 
" smudges," to get a little relief from these blood- 
thirsty " varmints." 

To make a long story short, I had rather pre- 
side over a Democratic convention, assembled in 
a non-prohibition town on the Fourth of July, 
than interview the Kootenia mosquitoes and 
horse flies for an hour in the summer time 
(never wintered in Kootenia, can't say what they 
do then). 

On our arrival at Fisherville, we engaged in 
prospecting and mining. 

About this time Mr. Haines, the English gold 
commissioner arrived in the camp (these mines 
were within " Her Majesty's " dominions). The 
miners, assembled here, were mostly Irishmen 
and Danes. 



246 Reminisce7ices of an Old Timer. 

Soon I struck what is known among miners 
as a " rim-rock " claim, some two hundred yards 
up the side of the mountain from the creek. I 
carried the "pay dirt" in a flour sack on my 
back down to the water where I washed it out 
in a rocker. My partners were opening a claim 
on the creek about half a mile up the creek. I 
had been carrying and washing dirt from this 
rim-rock claim for some weeks, and had exca- 
vated quite a hole. While at work I usually laid 
my belt and revolver on a rock in this hole. One 
day as I was working away cleaning up some 
bed-rock, I heard a voice near me ask, " What 
are yes doin' here ? " 

Looking up, I saw a large Irishman standing 
at the edge of my drift or hole, "Tr3dng to make 
a grub stake," I replied. He asked, "Do yes 
know ye're on me claim ? " I said, "No, I do not." 

He said, " Ye air, 'nifif yes don't git off d n 

quick I'll put a head on yes." 

I tried to argue the point but it was no go, 
and at last, as he was about to come into the 
hole where I was, I thinking there was not room 
there for two of us, as he was a large man, 
picked up my pistol and informed him of my 
opinion. This was probably what he wanted me 
to do, for he said as he started for town, " I'll 
tache yes to dhraw a ghun an a man in this 
country, be gad I'll sind yes te the coal mines." 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 247 

I replied, " If you fool around here I'll send 

you to a sight warmer climate than British 

Columbia." Shortly after this he returned with 
a man who informed me that he was a constable, 
and that he arrested me for drawing an unlawful 
weapon on one of " Her Majesty's " subjects. 

I asked permission to go past my cabin, which 
he allowed me to do. At the cabin I found my 
comrades and told them what was up. They all 
took their arms and accompanied us to the Com- 
missioner's office. On making our appearance 
Haines exclaimed, " What! What! Gentlemen, 
do you not know that in Her Majesty's dominions, 
it is not allowable to carry weapons ? I said, "yes ; " 
in a civilized country, where the laws can protect 
her subjects, or those tarrying in her territory. 
And if you, Mr. Commissioner, will say that you 
can protect us in our rights, under your British 
laws, we will deposit our guns and pistols v/ith 
you till we are ready to leave the camp." This 
seemed to please him (for we tendered our guns 
and pistols). He called up my case. The Irishman 
had engaged a lawyer to prosecute me, but 
Haines asked me, " Have you a license to mine in 
British Columbia? " Upon my saying " yes," and 
producing my certificate, he asked his clerk if it 
was on record. After looking over his books the 
clerk said " yes." 



248 Remi7iisce7ices of an Old Tiiner. 

Then I was asked : " Have you recorded the 
ground you were at work on ? " Again I replied 
in the affirmative, and produced my receipt, 
which agreed with the records. Haines " ren- 
dered his verdict " promptly, paying no attention 
to the attempts of the attorney to plead, other 
than to tell him that if he had any law to cite 
him to, he would consider it ; otherwise, if he 
attempted .to interrupt the proceedings again, he 
would fine him for contempt. 

The Commissioner's verdict was a fine of 
twenty-five pounds on the Irishman for trespass- 
ing upon and molesting a " subject " on his own 
premises, and then he said to me : " If you had 
shot him down, you could not have been hurt 
for it; for any English subject has a right to 
protect his own castle, and a miner's claim is 
his castle." 

We found this man Haines to be a pleasant 
and just man, and the other party became quite 
friendly. I write the above to illustrate the rigid 
manner in which the British laws are enforced, 
even in distant mining camps. 

Shortly after this I, in company with two of 
my partners, went north to Finley creek, some 
fifty miles, prospecting; prospects being poor, 
we sold out on our return, took leave of Doc Van- 
valsey, and started for Walla Walla for winter- 
quarters, Van having intimated that her Majesty's 



Remznisce7tces of an Old Timer. 249 

dominions were, lie thouglit, far more healtliy 
for him than any part of the United States 
would be. 

We left him with provisions sufficient to last 
him through the winter. Took the horses and 
as I said, started for Walla Walla; and perhaps, 
" The land of soft weather, pretty girls, woolen 
socks, and big red apples. 

As the reader may not understand the " red 
apple " quotation, I will, to enable him to "catch 
on," quote from the descriptions given of the 
Willamette valley by learned writers. 

The Willamette valley was the first settled 
portion of Oregon. In using this word " Oregon," 
I mean Oregon as it was, at the time that 
Webster Tyler and others strove to force what is 
now Oregon and Washington, upon " His 
Majesty, the king of Great Britain and Ireland," 
to prevent which, Doctor Whitman made his 
arduous, perilous, and solitary journey across the 
continent, as related in another chapter. It is 
now a remarkable fruit producing country, a 
damp country, a muddy country, a wonderfully 
productive country, where the " gentle zephyrs 
sob and sigh," about forty to the mile, through 
the saplings which are about six feet in diameter 
and three hundred feet high, for at least nine 
months in the year; where the thermometer 
scarcely ever reaches 90 F. H. (I mean Fahrenheit, 



250 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

not "feet high;") and seldom condescends to 
nothing, O or zero as you folks call it. A country 
now fast becoming largely populated by a sweat- 
fearing people; a well watered country. Its 
streams having their sources in the high mount- 
ains that are capped with snow, summer and 
winter, go laughing down the rugged mountain 
sides, through deep and dark canyons, over rapids 
and gigantic falls; and on through the beautiful 
valleys that comprise the great Willamette. Sel- 
dom disturbed,except by the silvery trout or festive 
salmon ; seldom used for any purpose other than 
driving machinery or washing. The male portion 
of the inhabitants have very little idea of the 
soft or hard qualities of Oregon water, as it is 
hard to get them to "sample " anything so thin. 
Finally, a country noted for health, wealth, pretty 
girls, high mountains, beautiful valleys, big sal- 
mon, productive soil, mild climate, misty winters, 
navigable streams, big waterfalls, many Repub- 
licans, (white-washed by Cleveland in later days) 
energetic business men, coal beds, iron veins, 
mineral waters — would quote more, but fear 
I'll be accused of being an emigrant drummer, 
so refrain, and close these " explanatory notes " 
on red apples. 

Quotation, P. S. As pretty girls are quoted, 
and it is generally understood that the " dear 
creatures " usually finish their epistles with a 



Reminiscences of an Old Tiyner. 251 

postscript, and their P. S.'s are usually the best 
part of their letters, I will try to ingratiate my- 
self into their confidence with my postscript by 
mentioning the woolen sock business. Oregon 
furnished the California miners with a superior 
article of socks that were supposed to have been 
knit by the nimble fingers of Oregon's rosy 
cheeked and beautiful daughters. 

I should have quoted stockings, as well as 
socks, but the miners of California, were mostly 
male-men who voted the " Old Time Whig," 
laterally called the Republican ticket, there be- 
ing but few Democrats, and some of these oddi- 
ties .wore socks. 

Have heard that the Oregon ladies wore stock- 
ings ! don't know, and as stockings are not quoted 
in the foregoing indenture, will stay with my 
socks in this my P. S. 

But to my story. Off we went, everything go- 
ing as smooth and joyous as marriage bells. By 
the way, I have often asked myself why "bells " 
are mentioned instead of the newly wedded pair, 
as there is usually a ring to each of them (no 
malice intended, have "been there myself"). 

My verdict on this marriage bells business 
would be something the same as that of the 
Dutchman. He was elected a Justice of the 
Peace, in the State of Maine, after the Prohibi- 
tion law took effect. 



252 Reminiscences of a7i Old Timer, 

Three men were brought before him on a 
charge of drunkenness, the day after he had 
qualified. John being the first arraigned, "His 
Honor" asked, " Veil, you vas drunk, aind it ! " 
John pleaded guilty. " Vot you drinks ? " John 
said " Whisky." " Veil dot ish pad ; I finds you 
dwenty-fife tollars und gost." Then Henry came 
up. " Veil, Heinery, you vas drunk too, don't 
he?" "Yes!" said Henry. "Veil, vot you 
drinks ? " " Gin," was the answer. " Ish dot so ? 
das ish petter. I finds you youst fifteen tollars 
und gosts." Then Jacob came up. " Veil, Yawcob, 
You vas drunk too, don't it ? " Jacob pleaded as 
did his brother before him. "Veil, Yawcob, vot 
you drinks ? " " Peach brandy and honey," was 
the answer. " Ish dot so ? Dot vas goot, I drinks 
him mineself somedimes. I finds you youst not- 
ting at all und gost." So would I fine them 
" Youst notting at all und gost." (Bells and 
marriages I mean, not the men that were with 
me.) 

Pursuing our course, nothing worthy of note 
occurred as we journeyed from day to day, up the 
Moyea and over to the Kootenia river, stopping 
occasionally with packers. On these occasions 
story-telling was in order for mutual entertain- 
ment and amusement. On one of these occasions 
a packer told the following about an Irish cook 
he had with him on one of his trips. He said 



Reminiscences of ail Old Timer. 253 

that all of his men were '' putting up jobs " on 
Pat for the purpose of hearing him talk, as he 
was a very witty fellow. 

At one time they got Pat on to a bucking 
cayuse. Upon starting, the horse made one or 
two jumps, when off went Pat over the horse's 
head, alighting on his feet astride the bridle- 
reins, the horse's head drawn in close proximity 
to the seat of his pants. Some -one laughingly 
exclaimed, "Pat, you can't ride a bit!" Pat 
replied: " The divil I can't a bit ! Oi can roide 
d n close to a bit, d'ye moind? " 

Another told of a Boston man who stopped 
with him over night on the trail. This was 
Boston's first experience in the West. The cook 
seeing Boston watching him while he was cook- 
ing supper, sang out to one of the packers, 
" Give me a sweat-cloth to mix the bread on." 
All knowing that the cook was about to perpe- 
trate a joke, a sweat-cloth was handed to him. 
After getting his sack of flour ready, he spread 
down the sweat-cloth near it, then dexterously 
exchanged it for the piece of duck-cloth, carried 
for the purpose of mixing bread on, and slipped 
the sweat-cloth to one side while Boston's head 
was turned. Boston asked the cook if he always 
used those cloths to make bread on. " Yes," 
Cooky replied, with the countenance of a saint. 
Soon supper was called; Bostou sat down; the 



254 Reminiscences of afi Old Tuner. 

bread was passed around, Boston saying, lie 
"seldom ever ate bread," wouldn't touch it 
until the owner told him, and showed him — after 
they had enjoyed a laugh — the cloth they car- 
ried for the purpose, and explained how the cook 
had made the exchange for his benefit. The 
explanation had the effect of changing Boston's 
habits, as he ate more bread than all the packers 
put together. He said he supposed the reason 
was that he had never before eaten bread that 
was made on a " manta." 



CHAPTER XVn. 

From Kootenia to Walla Walla in '63 — A Widowed Sister — 
Packing— Walla Walla in 1863-64— The Vigilantes— The 
Burnt River Road Agents — Stampeding Pack-trains — 
Holding Up the Stage — Innocent Men Four Years in 
Prison — The Guilty Party Squeals on His "Pal" — 
The Attempted Arrest of Two Boys — A Moneyed Party 
Scared — Entertaining a Road Agent — We Got Into a 
Hurry When he had Business in Auburn — More Vigi- 
lantes — Making a Father-in-Law of a Partner — At Washoe 
Springs — How the News of the Assassination of Lincoln 
Was Received — The Man Who Rejoiced, and What he 
Did Afterward. 

FROM Kootenia we traveled througli a broken 
and heavily timbered country southwesterly 
across Pack river and to the Semiackateen cross- 
ing of the Pen d'Oreille, at the foot of the lake ; 
thence to the old crossing of the Spokane, about 
twelve miles above the falls; thence to the old 
crossing of Snake river, at the mouth of the 
Tukanon ; and thence to Walla Walla. 

Arriving at Walla Walla, I found my sister 
and brother-in-law, who had been living there a 

(255) 



256 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

year or so, and I concluded to remain there for a 
time. 

Winship, my brother-in-law, owned a pack- 
train, which I took charge of and was arranging 
to load for a trip to Boise, when Winship died, 
leaving my sister a widow with three children. 
I remained, and assisted her in settling up his 
business, then bought an interest in the pack- 
train, made one trip to Boise with it, and returned 
and laid the train up for the winter near Walla 
Walla. 

Walla Walla was a lively place in those days. 
The valley was commencing to be farmed on a 
small scale, and two or three flour-mills had been 
erected. It was the winter-quarters for the most 
of the packers and teamsters, and was full of 
miners, packers, bull -whackers, mule -skinners, 
stockmen, sporting-men, etc., intermingled with 
a good sprinkling of roughs and cut-throats who 
had been driven out of other localities and came 
there to winter. To say that it was a pretty hard 
place at that time, is " hitting it " easy enough. 
"A man for breakfast " was not an uncommon 
morning salutation. Men were " held up," shot, 
stabbed, slung-shotted, clubbed, or " doped," ver}^ 
frequently, and the perpetrators of these jokes 
were in no way delicate in approaching their 
victims. Finally, in the early spring, the more 
honorable of the citizens and sojourners took the 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 257 

law in their own hands, and "cleaned up" the 
town and valley. These were denominated the 
" Walla Walla Vigilantes of 1864." There were 
some errors committed by them ; they did some 
bad things ; but I believe they thought they had 
cause for every movement. Their peremptory 
workings soon struck terror, or death, to the law- 
less, resulting in great good. 

In the spring of '64 I started with the train 
for Boise. The renegade Indians (mostly Ban- 
nacks) and the road agents (white renegades and 
highwaymen) that infested the Powder River 
and Burnt River sections were quite sportive in 
those days, stopping travelers, robbing stages 
and stealing animals, and now and then leaving 
a corpse in some isolated camp for a change. 
But stampeding and running oif pack-animals 
seemed to be their main infatuation, which forced 
the packers to guard their animals closely at 
night while passing through that portion of the 
country. To give an illustration, I will relate 
that one night our train, with a number of 
others, was encamped on Burnt river. During 
the night an attempt was made to stampede the 
trains, but the animals were too well guarded. 
The night was dark, and those making the 
attempt were close to the animals when dis- 
covered. Our herdsmen, or savinaros, fired a few 



258 Remmiscences of an Old Timer. 

shots at them, mounted the riding and bell- 
horses, circled around and came into camp. All 
the other animals followed the bells — no loss at 
this time. Next morning we examined the 
ground where our herd had been approached ; 
some blood was found on the grass, also a cap 
made from the mane of a black horse (this is 
done by stripping the skin from the top of the 
neck of a black-maned horse and stitching the 
ends together like a hat-band). This, when 
worn on the head of a man, resembles the long, 
straight, black hair of an Indian. This was 
evidence conclusive that the attempted stampede 
of the night before had been made by white men, 
and that they had got slightly demoralized. 

In those ante-railroad days, when placer mines 
were found in nearly every prominent canyon in 
the mountains of eastern Oregon, Idaho and 
Montana, stages were run to all the mining 
towns which a wagon could reach, carrying Wells, 
Fargo & Co.'s express, the U. S. mails, and pas- 
sengers. Portland then being the supply depot 
and metropolis for the whole of the country 
named. These stage coaches, " mud-wagons," 
" gerkeys " (in fact anything that run on wheels, 
and had thorough-brace attachments, was called 
a stage) used to go eastward with a heavy mer- 
chandise express and light-pursed passengers, 
returning as a rule with "well-heeled" passen- 



^TT* 



" ' T ' V .*'^ , 







Remmiscences of an Old TiTuer. 259 

gers and a heavy " dust " express. Though the 
west-bound passengers were provided with shoot- 
ing irons as well as dust, and Wells, Fargo & 
Co.'s box was generally covered by a resolute 
man, who always had a quick-acting double- 
barreled "cannon" in his lap, which "cannon" 
(or express gun) was half filled with powder and 
buckshot, still the festive road agent would now 
and then join forces with one or more of his pals 
and "hold up" a west-bound stage, just for a 
picnic. The stage drivers were not generally the 
owners of the stages, horses, or the treasure in 
the box, but were salaried at from $75 to $150 
per month, according to the route, teams, and 
speed they were expected to make, nothing in the 
contracts requiring them to drive over two or 
three cocked guns which had vigorous men at 
the other end of them, and as they had adopted 
the motto, " Better be called a coward, than a 
corpse," they usually made it a point to stop and 
rest their teams when they discovered that kind 
of a hedge in front of them; and the express 
messenger, if he allowed his "cannon" to go ojBf 
at all, generally went off the coach himself at 
the same time. Then the driver, not being other- 
wise engaged at the moment, would comply with 
a husky request to " Throw out that box," and 
as a usual thing the obstructions would be re- 
moved and the stage would move on and make 



26o Reminzscences of an Old Timer. 

up the lost time. But sometimes the frisky fellows 
who stood behind the obstructions mentioned 
manifested a more inquisitive disposition, and 
would request the passengers to alight and form 
in line, a la military, for their inspection, which 
request the passengers (being tired of sitting in 
the coach) would eagerly comply with. While 
the commander held them at " attention" with a 
large-bored gun, his subordinates would thor- 
oughl}^ inspect their purses and jewelry, generally 
retaining such as " contraband." If the load 
was heavy they would authorize the otherwise 
unoccupied driver to throw off the mail sacks, 
take his passengers aboard and proceed on his 
way, while they inspected the mail bags and ex- 
press box in some cool retreat. 

This sort of a variety finally grew tiresome to 
the proprietors of the stage lines, as well as to 
Wells, Fargo & Co., and strenuous restrictive, 
mandatory and captivating measures were 
agreed upon between the aforementioned com- 
panies and the sheriffs of the different counties 
through which the stages were being run, to abate 
the nuisance. 

In one instance, on The Dalles and Canyon 
City road, the stage was robbed, and subse- 
quently two or three local stock raisers — one of 
whom owned a large amount of live stock — were 
arrested, indicted for the crime, tried, and (I 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 261 

think two of them) convicted and sent to the 
penitentiary, where they had served the State 
for about four years, when one "Doc " Phelps — 
who had in the meantime come to Dayton, W. T., 
loomed up with plenty of money and a stock of 
goods, married a nice young lady and finally 
settled down to farming — was arrested by Dr. 
Boyd (a special deputy U. S. Marshal who had 
been working into the merits of the case), and 
taken to Portland, where he confessed the "whole 
works " and gave the names of the guilty parties. 
Of course those in prison were released, but their 
property had all been expended during their 
trials. The State and U. S. Government refused 
to, and have never been caused to reimburse 
them for the losses they had innocently sus- 
tained or the humiliation and hardships they had 
wrongfully been compelled to endure. Phelps 
got part of the " swag," and having turned State's 
evidence, is, of course, Scott free, while his Pal 
is serving out a life sentence in San Quectin for 
another crime. 

This kind of justice (?) led to the formation of 
impromptu vigilance committees all over the 
country, and now-a-days there are few stages 
robbed (in fact few are worth robbing). I knew 
of many instances of stages having been robbed, 
but time has effaced the most of the circum- 
stances from my memory. 



262 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

At anotlier time I was encamped at New York 
ranch, on Burnt River, when a plucky fight was 
made between two sheriffs and two boys, who 
had stolen some horses — at least the owners had 
not consented to their taking them away. The 
sheriffs had followed, and found them that night 
lying in their blankets in the sage-brush, near 
the express ranch, a mile or so below my camp. 
Coming upon them suddenly, they pulled down 
the blankets, when the boys went to shooting. 
As there have been many versions of this affair, 
I will only say that at its close one sheriff was 
dead and the other badly wounded ; one dead 
boy and one wounded, who was sent to the peni- 
tentiary for a long term. The wounded sheriff 
recovered, and the boy was some years afterward 
pardoned by the Governor of Oregon. He (the 
boy) still lives in this country, and is noted for 
his hospitality and genteel behavior among gen- 
tlemen, as he also is for the pluck and daring 
which he has shown on several occasions since 
his release in different personal encounters with 
men equally ready with " popguns." Once or 
twice it was announced through the Western 
press that he had been killed, but he continues to 
show up. I am informed that in his last fracas, 
while unarmed and making some purchases in a 
store, he kept walking toward the revolver that 
some one had pointed toward him, and, after it 



Reminisceiices of an Old Timer. 263 

had emitted its last charge — others having taken 
effect in his anatomy — he did no more than to 
take the gun away from the man and arrest him. 
On another occasion he got into a difficulty 
with a sporting-man in Eastern Oregon. Both 
"pulled" at close quarters, and emptied their 
revolvers at each other, each shot taking effect, 
but neither of them hit the "bull's-eye." Both 
men were carried off by friends, and laid up 
under the care of the " man with the corking- 
iron," who managed to " stop the leakage." They 
were "on dock" for some weeks, and it was given 
out that they had each " pulled " for the last 
time, and must lower their flags to that " grim 
man with the crooked scythe." (Why the pic- 
ture of a beautiful woman should be placed in 
front of that of the man with a scythe, and he 
counting the ringlets of her hair, is more than 
most old timers are able to explain.) While 
they lay at death's door, messages were being 
sent hourly from one to the other, bearing 
tokens of friendly feeling and anxiety for each 
other's recovery. Finally, they both recovered, 
and that settled the matter between them. At 
another time this party prevented the robbery 
of a train on the Northern Pacific road by his 
timely appearance and plucky resistance. (I 
have called no names, because some of the parties 
are alive, and I have not asked their consent.) 



264 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

Another incident of those days : On one of 
my trips I and my partner, Fult Johnson, 
remained a few days at East Bannack — or Idaho 
City — to settle up some business from the pre- 
vious fall, sending our train out in charge of a 
hired man, keeping our saddle-horses and one 
mule with us (the mule to pack our grub and 
blankets) . While here we fell in with a wealthy 
teamster named Bigsby, who owned several mule- 
teams that were freighting from Umatilla to 
Boise Basin. He had remained behind his teams 
for the same purpose that we had stopped behind 
the train, and having kept his saddle-horse to 
ride out, not liking to risk his dust and himself 
on the stage, induced us to remain over one day, 
so that he could accompany us back to Walla 
Walla. Reaching Boise City on our return 
homeward, we were solicited to stop over night, 
that two other gentlemen might join us. One 
of these was a tinner who had recently sold out 
his business and was about starting to his home 
in the States, via Walla Walla, Portland and 
'Frisco. The other was a Jewish merchant by the 
name of Marks, who was on his way to 'Frisco to 
buy his spring stock. Bach of the party carried 
a large sum of money. As we neared the 
Burnt River country we were frequently hear- 
ing of stages and trains having been stopped 
and robbed by the road-agents, and the further 



Reminiscences cf an Old Timer. 265 

we went the oftener we heard such stories, and 
the more " shaky " grew the nerves of those in 
our party. One day, while riding up the Burnt 
River canyon, Johnson and I noticed that the 
other three had dropped back and were appar- 
ently engaged in an earnest conversation. This 
continued for some miles. Finally Bigsby rode 
up to us and asked what amount of money we 
had with us. After some jocular bantering 
we told him. He said, " I thought as much." 
Then he asked, " How much money do you sup- 
pose we represent, or that the five of us have 
with us?" I named what I supposed to be a 
reasonable amount. Then he gave me their 
"figures," which proved a much greater amount 
than I had imagined could possibly be in the 
possession of our party. They had " figured the 
thing down fine," and this figuring, taken with 
the reports we were constantly hearing from 
those we met, made them still more " shaky." 
It was generally believed that many of the 
ranchers or residents along this road were 
" mixed up with the gang," and " in with the 
swag." As Bigsby, Marks and the tinner had 
been stopping at houses over night and getting 
their meals there, while Johnson and myself 
camped out and stayed near the animals, it was 
concluded, after long consultation, that going to 
these houses with cantinas heavy with gold-dust 



266 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

was not a very safe procedure, as it could be 
plainly seen in handling them that they con- 
tained considerable wealth. Finally, on nearing 
Straw ranch, we arranged that Johnson and I 
should go ahead, and, as usual, make camp, the 
others to drop in later, talk with us awhile, leave 
their cantinas in our care, and then go to the 
ranch and stay there over night. In accordance 
with this programme, when Johnson and I got 
near the Straw ranch we turned a few hundred 
feet away from the trails to the brush that grew 
along the river, and went into camp. After 
unsaddling I spread out some blankets as though 
I was making my bed. While I was doing this 
the other three came up and engaged me in a 
loud conversation, at the same time dropping 
their cantinas, which contained nearly all the 
money they had with them, into the blanket. 
As I was holding a blanket in my hand at the 
time, I happened to spread it over them. After 
a short talk they bid us good night and went 
to the house for their night's entertainment. 
As soon as it became dark Johnson went 
out to stake our animals on good grass; I 
remained in camp and soon had the money 
belonging to the whole five of us cached in the 
brush, marking the place. Johnson returning, 
we ate our suppers and retired to our blank- 
ets, laying an " express-gun " (short shotgun 



Reminiscences, of an Old Timer. 267 

witli a large bore, which was usually loaded with 
a double dose of buck shot, for the benefit of 
whosoever might attempt to interrupt the progress 
of the " old-fashioned stage coach " or the return- 
ing " freighter") on each side of us. The moon 
shone brightly, and along toward morning I 
awoke and saw a man coming up the road on 
foot, he passed on, and was gone some time when 
he returned, but in returning he had left the road 
and came between the bushes where we lay and 
the road. In less than an hour he came again, 
this time following close along the edge of the 
brush. Being sure it was the same man, I was 
satisfied that he was trying to locate our " roosting 
place " for the purpose of leading others to it, 
so I awoke Johnson, and when the walker had 
got within a few steps of where we were lying, 
close to and in the shade of the brush, where he 
had not yet discovered us, I covered him with a 
shotgun and asked him if he wasn't lost, sug- 
gesting that he had passed our camp at least twice 
before within a short time. He said he thought he 
had got turned around, but was confident he could 
find his way now. I differed with him in this, 
and, at my peremptory suggestion, he took a seat 
on our aparajos " to await the dawning of the day," 
I having informed him that it would be more 
healthy for him if he refrained from making any 
unusual sign or sound, and that we would have 



268 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

a cup of coffee pretty soon. It occurs to rae now 
that the muzzle of the shotgun wasn't pointed 
away from him, and, if my memory serves me 
both the hammers were up. Johnson was soon 
at work building a fire to prepare the coffee. I 
in the meantime was pa3dng every attention to 
our guest, who had shown by his actions that he 
could hardly resist such a pressing invitation. 
The way of the gun didn't change, and he kept 
his seat. When the fire commenced burning 
brightly we could see a brace of revolvers and a 
knife in his belt. He had proven to be a very 
pleasant fellow from the time he took his seat. 
He laughed and joked, while looking down the 
barrels of the shotgun, as coolly as though he was 
calculating the size and number of the " punctur- 
ing pellets " it might contain. Just as it became 
broad daylight our three comrades came to camp, 
loaded with crackers, sardines, butter, and a large 
black bottle supposed to contain the "pure, 
unadulterated Democracy." Upon seeing our 
visitor, it would have been an easy matter to have 
" knocked their eyes off with a club." Bigsbee 
said, " Hunter, I see you have company?" The 
" company " answered, " Yes, I have found him 
to be the most hospitable man it was ever my 
good luck to run against." It being daytime we 
felt ourselves comparatively out of danger, and 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 269 

all of us took breakfast, our newly made friend 
being the most jovial of all. 

After eating he took a good pull at the black 
bottle, bid us good bye, wished us a safe journey, 
and started back down the road which I had first 
seen him coming up. Our horses were soon 
ready, when we " raised the caches " and started. 
After we had traveled a few miles we were over- 
taken by a man who was riding a very fine horse. 
After he had talked with us a short time, he sig- 
nified a wish to speak to me in private ! So he 
and I dropped back behind the others and he said 
to me, "Your party has a large amount of money 
with it ! you have made a scratch, and yo\x had 
better skip mighty lively, for you mightn't do so 
well next time." Like a fool, I asked him what 
he meant. He answered " No matter, you fellers 
had better travel, and I don't wish to be seen in 
your company ; and as I am in somewhat of a 
hurry to reach Auburn, I must bid you a good 
day." And he started off at a lively gait, up a 
ravine in the direction of the place he mentioned. 

When I came up with the party, they asked, 
" What did that man want ?" I replied, "It was 
a little matter of business. But," said I, " I'm 
in a great hurry to get to Walla Walla. Our 
animals had a good rest last night, and there 
will be plenty left, when they are dead, and I 
guess we'd better hurry ! " 



270 Reminiscences of mi Old Timer. 

Well, we traveled, and arrived at our destina- 
tion, perhaps worse scared than hurt. 

The vigilantes "cleaned out" that country 
subsequently. 

We took another partner in with us, named 
Stephen Allen. Allen had lost his wife some time 
before, and his daughter Elizabeth (or Libb}^, as 
she was called) , with her baby brother, were left 
in the care of my sister. But, having obtained 
Libby's consent, I thought I was the most 
capable of caring for her ; so I married her. 
Shortly after being married, I, in company with 
my father-in-law and another partner and our 
packers, were on the trails to Boise and had en- 
camped for a night at Washoe springs, on Snake 
river, at which place many other pack-trains and 
some ox-teams were also camped, as this was a 
favorite camping place. In all there were forty 
or fifty packers and teamsters assembled. 

Just after we had turned out our stock, and 
while we were arranging cargo and aparajos^ an 
expressman rode up ; as I was acquainted with 
him. He said, " Here, Hunter, is something that 
will interest you ; " handing me a newspaper 
that was dressed in mourning. At a glance, I 
saw that it contained an account of the assas- 
sination of President Lincoln, and, at an excla- 
mation from me, all gathered around the cargo 
on which I had seated myself and requested me 



Rerninisce7ices of an Old Timer. 271 

to read aloud so that all could hear, as none of 
them had heard of this. I proceeded to read the 
account as published ; and, when I had finished, 
a man who owned an ox-team threw his hat in 
the air and shouted, " Hurrah for the man that 

killed him ! I'd like a steak out of the old s 

of a for my supper, or of any man that sym- 
pathizes with him." 

For a minute all were painfully still. I sup- 
posed some Republican would take up this chal- 
lenge, but all seemed too much stunned to do 
so. At last I sprung from the cargo ; and to 
my saddle where my pistol was in my holster ; 
jerked it out and cocking it, told him I would 
give him just half a minute to take that back 
and apologize to the gentlemen present ; and that 
it had been my experience, that a man who 
wanted to eat steaks from a murdered man, had 
not the grit to attempt to cut one from a live one. 

A hasty glance told him, that if he hadn't be- 
come tired of living, he had better " crawfish," 
and apologize, which he did in good shape and 
then walked off to his wagon. 

Then I found that nearly all were ready to 
lynch him, as the most of those present were 
Republicans; and, as an old friend of mine put 
it, " blamed black " at that. This will give the 
reader some idea of how the news of President 
Lincoln's assassination was received in manjr 
places in Oregon and Washington. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

Afflicted with Sta3^-at-home-a-tive-iiess — Disaster to the Pack- 
Train — Night Tramp in a Blizzard — Rescued — Designated 
by a "Pet Name " — No Apology Demanded — A Store at 
Blackfoot — Discover}' — Libby Creek, M. T. — Traitorous 
Indians Murder my Father-in-I,aw and His Party, and 
-- Capture the Train and Cargo — Wounded, and Hid in the 
Mountains Twentj-one Daj^s — Living on Huckleberries — 
The Lonely Grave — Eaten by Wolves — Rather Die Than 
Desert the Property — Epitaph — A Bad Neck Disease — 
Seven Thousand Dollars Worse than Broke — As a Black- 
smith — As a Farmer — Working Out of Debt — An Over- 
average Stake for a Settler — How we Opened Our Farms 
— A Tree Canvasser — The -ex-Rebel Officer and His Cow- 
ardice — How he Fooled us. 

LATE in the fall of 1864 I sent the train to 
Blackfoot in charge of Allen and Johnson, 
I remaining with the family at Walla Walla. 
They made the trip to Bear gulch, in Montana. 
On their return they followed the Pen d'Oreille 
lake trails, and in the severe snowstorm they lost 
forty-seven animals on the trail near Pack river, 
and finally arrived at Old Fort Taylor, at the 
mouth of Tukanon, on Snake river, with the 

(272) 



Reminiscences of ait Old Timer. 273 

remnant of tlie train. As I liad heard of their 
trouble, I took two large train horses that I had, 
and packed one of them with clothing, boots, and 
a supply of provisions, and started in a storm to 
meet them. I had about fifty miles to go across 
the rolling hills by trails. When I had made 
about thirty miles, I came to a wayside place, 
called "Dobson & McKay's Ranch," the last 
house I would pass till I arrived at the mouth 
of the Tukanon. It was just night, and blowing 
a gale. The snow was about eighteen inches 
deep. It had snowed about a foot, then thawed 
some, turned cold, and crusted ; then six or seven 
inches of fresh snow had fallen on this crust, 
and the air was full of snow. On my arrival at 
this ranch, I put up my horses, had supper^ and 
was ready to turn into my blankets, when a pack- 
train came in from Tukanon. The men told me 
that Allen and Johnson were coming behind, 
and undoubtedly couldn't make it with their 
worn-out animals. I at once resaddled and 
packed up, and started in the storm to meet 
them. There were thirty or forty packers at 
this ranch, who assured me that no man could 
make the Tukanon in such a storm in the night. 
The snow had drifted in the trails so that it was 
impossible to follow them ; and they said that no 
one but a fool or a madman would undertake it. 
This made no difference to me. I told them I 

18 



274 Remmtscences of an Old Timer. 

should try it, at least ; and I did. As soon as I 
got to the corner of a fence that surrounded a 
small piece of land, I found that it was out of 
the question for me to follow the trails ; so I left 
them to my right, and, keeping the wind to my 
back, strove to travel parallel with them. By 
walking and leading my horses I knew I could 
tell if I came to the trails, as the crust had been 
broken by the trains recently passing. 

I plodded my way for an hour or so, then 
turned to my right, keeping the wind on my 
shoulder, and in a short time found the trails, 
then left them as before. These maneuvers I 
kept up for hour after hour, and until I had made 
fully ten miles, when, while looking for the trail, 
I heard a noise which I supposed to come from 
some wild amimal. Peering into the darkness, 
and through the driving snow, I saw what I sup- 
posed to be a wolf or mountain lion (cougar) ; I 
stepped to my saddle-horse, took my pistol out of 
my hostler, and was about to fire,when the thought 
occurred to me to " hallo " before shooting. I 
did so, and to my surprise was answered by a 
man's voice near by. I recognized the voice as 
that of my father-in-law and partner. It was his 
horse I had seen, and the noise I had heard was 
the whinny of the horse. 

I found Allen sitting on the mechillas of his 
saddle, exhausted, while the horse had given out. 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 275 

Bxamining his feet, I found they were not frozen, 
but his boots were so worn that they were filled 
with snow around his socks. I strove to put on 
him an extra pair that I had brought along, but 
he was so chilled that he couldn't help me. 

I caught up a blanket and wrapped strips of 
it around his feet, put over them my own buffalo 
over-shoes, then helped him mount my riding- 
horse and started back for Dobson & McKay's 
ranch. Knowing my horses would follow the trails 
when headed for home, I followed on foot, whip- 
ping Allen's worn-out horse along. In a short 
time, Allen declared he couldn't stand it any 
longer, but must get off and walk. I helped him 
off, when he staggered a few steps and fell, say- 
ing he could not walk. Then came the " tug of 
war ; " as he was a man that weighed over 200 
pounds, and was so badly chilled that he could 
not help himself a particle, it proved to be quite 
a job for me to help him on to the horse again. 
I finally succeeded; then I wound blankets 
around him, and tied them and him to the saddle; 
took the bridle off the horse ; took out a flask of 
brandy that I had brought along, and had him 
drink all he could of it, as I told him he would 
stay where he was till we reached the ranch. He 
thought I would freeze myself, as I had but thin 
calf boots on my feet after giving him my over- 
shoes. I told him I could make it by keeping 



276 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

close up to the horses which broke the trails, and 
kept the wind off me to some extent. 

The wind and snow cut like a knife, but by 
running, whipping, and taking an occasional pull 
■ at the flask, I got along finely. I gave Allen a 
" dose " semi-occasionally. In the course of an 
hour Allen said he was warm, and would get off 
and walk, and let me ride awhile ; but I thought 
I wouldn't trust him off again, and I knew that 
if I stopped running and walking, I would soon 
chill so that I wouldn't be able to help either of 
us ; so on he staid till we reached the ranch, 
which we did near morning. On our arrival at 
the ranch, we awoke the proprietor, who took 
care of our stock, and we sat down by the stove. 
Some one of the packers asked Allen where he 
was from, and he told them Tukanon. They 
asked if he had met a man riding a large horse. 
He, not thinking of me, replied no. The packer 

said, " Well, I pity that d d fool ! " Being told 

at the breakfast table, that I was the person he 
had spoken of, he said he had no apology to offer 
for his past remarks, as he believed no one but 
a fool or an idiot could have done what I did in 
such a storm and night. 

I accepted the apology, for I could plainly see 
by the countenances of most of those present 
that they indorsed his sentiments, and that in 
declining the apology, I was liable to get a worse 



Reminiscences of an Old Ti7ner. 277 

instead of a better one. Next day, the storm 
having abated, I went on to Tukanon with the 
provisions and clothing for our men, Allen going 
with the others to Walla Walla, where I arrived 
soon afterward with the train, a Chinook wind 
having taken the snow off. 

The next spring we bought some more horses 
and mules, and Allen returned to Blackfoot, 
where he opened a trading-post, leaving Johnson 
to run the business at that end of the route. He 
made a few trips that summer and fall, I remain- 
ing at Walla Walla. Winter coming on, he 
wintered the train at Horse prairie (or Horse 
plain), in Montana. The next spring he went 
out prospecting with others, struck a prospect 
in the mountains north of Pen d'Oreille lake, 
named the creek " Libby " for his daughter (my 
wife). He came down to the Pen d'Oreille 
with our animals for supplies and tools to work 
with, and on his return, in company with three 
or four others, was killed by a marauding band 
of Indians, as were all of his comrades except a 
man named Joe Herrin, who was shot through 
the breast. He crawled off and hid in a drift 
till after the Indians left, then crawled out and 
kept himself secreted for twenty-one days on 
this wild mountain-stream, living on huckle- 
berries, until a search-party came out and found 
him. They had left eight men in the camp when 



278 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

they went out, and had got within a few miles of 
the camp on their return, when they were 
ambushed. The other eight men heard the 
firing and came out, and told what they believed, 
which afterward proved to be true, except that 
Herrin was not killed. 

Upon this news arriving at Walla Walla, I, in 
company with my brother William and three 
others, started for the scene, about 300 miles 
distant. We had with us a man who had served 
throughout the Rebellion as a rebel officer. He 
was a large man, and about thirty years of age. 
His name was Robinson. Another's name was 
Thompson, and the other's Dougett. Robinson 
was the life of the party. He told stories of his 
services and adventures during the Rebellion in 
which he had taken part, picturing himself 
throughout as a very nervous man. So much 
did he do this, that my brother, Dougett and 
Thompson had concluded that he was a con- 
sumate coward, and intimated as much to him 
on more than one occasion. He would laugh it 
off. We traveled as rapidly as possible across 
the country to Spokane, and on to the Semiacki- 
teen crossing of the Pen d'Oreille; across Pack 
river and to the Kootenia river, then followed up 
this stream to the mouth of Libby creek. Here 
we had to swim our horses, and construct a 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 279 

raft of logs on which to carry over our provisions, 
guns, saddles, etc. 

The timber was thick on the opposite side of 
the river, and we suspected there might be In- 
dians in it awaiting us ; so we concluded it best 
for two or three of us to go over first on the raft, 
and the others to remain watching, and covering 
us with their guns ; then, if all was safe, to swim 
the horses over. 

My brother and myself volunteered to go over 
on the raft, as we had had experience on water, 
and were good swimmers, knowing that if we 
were fired upon we would have to take to the 
water, Robinson was asked to go on the raft with 
us, but positively refused to do so, for he said he 
was sure that the timber on the opposite side was 
full of Indians, and he had too much respect for 
his hide to risk it in any such a way ; but he 
would come over with the horses, when we ascer- 
tained for a fact that there were no Indians on 
the other side. He went out on the flat to 
look after the horses. Just as my brother and 
I were pushing the raft out into the water we 
heard a whoop and a splash near us. A moment 
later we saw an auburn head pop up some hun- 
dreds of feet out in the river, and start for the 
other shore. It was Robinson ; swimming over- 
handed, his head and shoulders protruding out 
of the water, and by the time we had our raft 



28o Remi7iiscences of an Old Timer. 

well out in the stream he was running through 
the woods on the other side, naked, and mak- 
ing them ring with his yells. He was at the 
shore to assist us in landing the raft, then 
into the river and across again, and assisting the 
others in swimming the horses over. He said 
he " got scared," and couldn't help swimming 
over, fearing we might leave him. From this 
time on no one accused him of cowardice, no 
matter what stories he told of his exploits, but 
we were sure that whatever part he played in the 
late " unpleasantness " on the Potomac was a 
brave and generous one to his comrades. 

We went on up Libby creek to the scene of 
the massacre of Allen and his party and found 
Allen's ofrave where the Indians had laid him after 

o 

killing him. It had been fixed up subsequently 
by his comrades. And as it was out of the ques- 
tion for me to bring his remains out to Walla 
Walla for more decent interment, we left him in 
his lonely grave on the creek he had named for 
his loved daughter, my wife — 

Brave Allen ! in your mountain grave asleep, 

Wild animals are your only bards ; 
Your children far distant away, do weep 

For their murdered father. Oh ! God ! 'tis hard 
To be doubly orphan 'd by a murderer's hand, 

Left alone, penniless, and deeply in debt, 
As they mourn for their murdered in a far-off land, — 

They are taught to believe they w^ill meet him yet! 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 281 

From tlie scene of the massacre we went on 
up Libby creek to wiiat was called " Discovery," 
where a great many men had assembled, as the 
news had spread far and wide ; and it was sup- 
posed that Libby creek was a rich camp. Here 
I stayed a few days ; but, realizing that my family, 
as well as my little orphan brother-in-law were 
wholly dependent upon me, I had to make my 
stay short. I was told by Herrin — the man who 
was wounded, and escaped from the Indians — 
that six or seven of the Indians had ferried them 
across the Kootenia river; came to the camp the 
night preceding the massacre ; took supper with 
them, and told them that the Blackfeet were 
near them ; that they were bad, and would kill 
them (meaning Allen's party). After dark they 
started for their camp, as they said; but, getting 
off a little distance, took cover behind trees and 
opened fire on the camp. Allen and his com- 
rades took to trees and returned the fire with 
two shotguns and their pistols. Firing was kept 
up till nearly morning. Lacking and Herrin 
frequently urged Allen to escape in the night up 
the creek to the rest of the party, which they 
could easily have done in the darkness ; but 
Allen said : " No ; I'd rather die than return to 
my partners and children without a cent, and 
tell them I had run and left all we had." Near 



282 Reminiscences of an Old Timer, 

morning the Indians drew off, as all believed, 
and the little party were packing up, after it 
became light. As Allen and Herrin were putting 
a whipsaw on to the last animal a sudden fire 
was opened on them from the trees near by. At 
the first volley Allen fell dead, and Herrin was 
wounded. The others ran away, but were fol- 
lowed by the Indians, and killed some distance 
off. While the Indians were after the others, 
Herrin crawled off and hid under a drift, as 
before related ; saw the Indians bury Allen, and 
destroy what property they didn't take away. 
The remains of the others were left where they 
fell, a prey to the wolves ; and the first parties 
who came in after the tragedy found and buried 
some portions of their remains. 

Thus another party of hardy pioneers and 
miners, after overcoming many hardships, suf- 
ferings, and terrible privations, were cowardly 
butchered by the "noble red man" — the wards 
of our government — far from their homes and 
friends. Another sacrifice had been made ; more 
brave men had laid down their lives while striv- 
ing to open and develop our new country and 
our mines. Afterward these Indians were fol- 
lowed to British Columbia. The British author- 
ities turned them over to the miners, who brought 
them back across the line, and — well, they 



Reminiscences of an Old Tifner. 283 

contracted a " bad neck disease," as Artemus 
Ward used to say. More good Indians. 

I returned to Walla Walla to my family, and 
six or seven thousand dollars of indebtedness, 
without a dollar to cover the amount. By the 
assistance of Baker & Boyer of Walla Walla, who 
were my principal creditors, I bought a black- 
smith shop (my father was a blacksmith) , and, 
as this was a good trade in those days, I was 
enabled within a few years to liquidate the most 
of my indebtedness. Then I traded my property 
for a ranch, and tried to make a farmer of myself. 
After getting eighty acres in cultivation, I was 
offered a good price for it, so I sold it, and 
finished paying myself out of debt. There being 
but few settlers, and plenty of good land thirty 
miles northeast of Walla Walla, I removed to 
the front. Near what is now the thriving town 
of Dayton I took up a ranch, and proceeded to 
put it in shape. I landed on this claim in No- 
vember, with my wife, four children, and a little 
brother-in-law, an old wagon, a crippled horse, a 
Cayuse (Indian) mare, a two-year-old filly, a set 
of tools, and about three hundred dollars in cash. 
Out of debt and as happy as a millionaire, I got 
a few teams to haul the logs from the mountains, 
ten or twelve miles distant, and with these built 
a cabin fourteen by sixteen feet in size, and set- 
tled down, " a bloated land-owner." 



284 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

Having nothing in particular to do at liome 
this winter, I traveled on foot through the snow 
and mud and sold trees for a nurseryman. In 
the spring I engaged in blacksmithing and im- 
proving my farm, and I made a good one of it, 
if it was Northern Pacific land. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

As D. G. M. and G. L., Oregon State Grange — Arraigned on 
Three Counts : ist, Not Guilty ; 2d, Guilty ; 3d, an 
Alibi — As Manager for the P. of H. Enterprises — The Talk- 
ative Man with the Auburn Hair — The First Steamboat 
of the Season— " Mated"— That Whistle ; " I Heard It " 
— He Didn't Want To Be an Angel — How Joe Got a Scar 
— " Indian Billiards ' ' — Shipping Facilities in the '70's — 
Navigation Developed — Changes in Twenty Years — An 
Immense County Segregated — Going Five Hundred Miles 
to Vote. 

THOSE who located on the rich farming- 
lands in the vicinity of Dayton were poor — 
very poor. Yet they possessed the gift of stick- 
to-it-a-tiveness, as a ride through that section will 
prove to you. Money being very scarce, they 
had to figure closely to make both ends meet and 
improve their lands. 

While I was thus engaged in brain and 
muscular work, I attended the organization of 
the Dayton Grange of the Patrons of Husbandry, 
and became Master of the Grange. 

Soon afterward I assisted in organizing the 
State Grange of Oregon and Washington, where 

(285) 



286 Remmiscences of an Old Timer. 

I was made its lecturer; but, as the Patrons 
were too poor to pay my expenses in the field, 
and as I was poor indeed, I failed to make 
many speeches in their behalf, which was, prob- 
ably, the cause of their somewhat long success. 
I had also been appointed a deputy under Mr. 
Clarke, the First Master of the State Grange. 
I went to work, and in mid-winter made more 
Patrons and established more subordinate lodges 
than all the other deputies in the field. Some 
of the would-be leaders concluded that I was too 
industrious, and I was brought up for trial on 
three counts: First, for charging too much for 
organizing subordinate lodges ; second, for tell- 
ing a sister that a demit had been granted her ; 
and, third, for being a grossly immoral character. 

As to the first accusation, I proved that I had 
never charged a cent, but had accepted such sum 
as was voted to me by the lodge I organized. 

To the second charge I pleaded guilty of having 
told the sister that the grange had granted her a 
demit ; and an examination of the secretary's 
books showed that she had been granted a demit, 
but the secretary had failed to notify her of the 
fact. 

To the third charge not a voice claimed that 
they had ever seen or known of any " gross 
immorality," or of my having been disorderly, 
or other than gentlemanly in my deportment. 



Reminiscences of an Old Tijner. 287 

But, on the other Hand, they had seen my per- 
secutors so drunk that they were laid on the 
" cooler " tired. 

The result was, that instead of working for 
nothing and boarding myself, I was made their 
agent at $75 per month and expenses paid, and 
was authorized to build a $10,000 flour-mill, and 
to build warehouses at the mouth of Tukanon 
at a cost of $6,000 more, which I did. Finally 
my wages were raised. 

While I was building the first warehouse for 
the grangers at Grange City (as we had christened 
the site of old Fort Taylor) I had in my employ 
as man of all work an auburn-haired " cuss " who, 
like many other pioneers, had seen better days, 
and was now " clear down at the heels." He was 
about twenty-eight years old, very talkative, and 
a fine book-keeper ; I shall call him " Rook " for 
short as I don't wish to give him away among 
friends. As the reader has already been told, I 
never had any educational advantages, so I made 
use of Rook's talent, and he taught me how to 
keep my books. He told a good story sometimes 
of his adventures, scrapes and experience, 
especially alluding to his fighting qualifications. 
He being red-headed, and as men with " carrotty " 
hair are generally supposed to be bad, we treated 
Rook with the utmost respect for a long time, 



288 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

and by our general comportment gave him to 
understand that we believed every word he said. 

Among other stories he told for our entertain- 
ment and terror was, that once in his life he found 
himself in the city of Portland, flat broke (this 
we were eager to believe but dared not say so) 
and that he went to work as a longshoreman 
and was soon transferred to a barge of which 
George Sampson was captain. Once when they 
were being towed to Astoria with a load of wheat, 
our sorrel-topped friend got it into his head that 
he knew more than his captain, which led them 
into a discussion, and finally, as Rook told it, he 
"pulled his derringer," and stuck it to Samp's 
ear, whereupon the captain apologized. Rook 
said he had earned all the money he needed, so 
he resigned when they got into port. I had about 
a dozen men working on the building at the time 
and they all believed this to be about a fair state- 
ment of the affair. 

A few days after he had related this adventure, 
we discovered smoke rising over the low hills 
down the river, indicating the approach of the 
first steamboat of the season. As I had never 
had any experience in forwarding or shipping, 
and knew that Rook was a first-class business 
man, I proposed to use his talent some more on 
this occasion, and asked him to superintend the 
shipment of the first load for my enlightenment. 



Remifiiscences of an Old Tmzer. 2S9 

We stood on the bank as the boat neared us. 
And as she swung in close to the landing the 
captain asked me how many tons I would 
have for him to take on his down trip. I told 
him, and he steamed on up the stream, when 
Rook poked me in the ribs and said, " George, 
do you see that fellow on the bow, with 
the long black beard?" "Yes," I answered, 
"What of him?" "Why, that's Sampson." 
" What, the fellow you made apologize on the 
barge that time ? " " Yes," said he, " Bet ye'r 
life that's him." I made no remarks ; neither 
did any of the rest of the men who had heard 
what Rook told. But I couldn't help thinking 
that Rook was a better judge of the man than I 
was, for I should never have thought of shoving 
a pistol into his face on short acquaintance. 
However, this was all good so far. But the next 
day the boat returned and landed to take on the 
wheat and flour. As we had no wharf, they had 
to run the wheat up a gang-plank that was very 
steep for trucking. Sampson stood about midway 
of the run, and as the boys came along with their 
truck loads he would help them up by shoving 
on their loads. Rook being a great fellow for 
newspapers (he was reporter for several), took 
one of the trucks to run while the man he re- 
lieved went on board to hunt up some papers for 
him. I had been up in the office arranging 

19 



290 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

receipts witli the purser, and was standing just 
inside the companionway, when Rook passed 
Sampson, who was acting mate and pilot, and 
asked, " Sampson, do you think I can run one 
of these fellows ? " The captain straightened 
himself to his full height (over six feet two) , put 
his hand on his hip, and in a low, sarcastic tone 

said, " Well, if you can, you can do a d d 

sight better than you did when you worked for 
me, sir." Rook went on; not another word was 
said. 

The boat being loaded, steamed on down the 
river, her destination being Celilo. That night 
at supper Rook was dishing up one of his blood- 
and-thunder stories, and, just as he had got his 
man in a tight place, I imitated the whistle of a 
steamboat. He stopped, and looking me square 
in the eye, said, " You heard what Samp said to 
me, did you?" I said, "That's what I heard." 
" Well," said he, " you didn't hear me say any- 
thing back, did you ? " I said, " No, not much." 
" Bet your last dollar," said he, " I'm better edu- 
cated than to do that ! Why, that long-legged, 
black-eyed son-of-a-sea-cook would have converted 
me into an angel before my wings had fairly 
sprouted." This part of his story we all 
endorsed. 

At the time of building the warehouses men- 
tioned above, we had among us one Joe Courtney 



Reminiscences of an Old Tiiner. 291 

(Colorado Joe), a naturally bright and musical 
fellow, and a clever fellow when out of liquor. 
Joe had been roving since he was a boy, and had 
gained considerable knowledge of the world. 
Although he was born and raised an American, 
he had, by association, adopted a vernacular 
peculiar to himself [But here 1 must mention 
that, there being no houses near where we were 
at work, we had to camp out and do our own 
kitchen and chamber-work, and were short of 
dishes.] Joe drank his coffee out of a frying- 
pan. One evening, while we were partaking of 
our frugal meal, Rook asked Joe what made the 
scar under his eye. Joe said, as he passed the 
frying-pan, grasping it by the bowl instead of 
the handle : " Gimme s'more dat swill (coffee), 
'n' I'll give ye all de fine p'ints 'bout dat optic." 
After swallowing half a pan of coffee he con- 
tinued : "Ye see, I had a tie ticket on de C. P., 
from Colfax to Sacramento — " " What's a tie 
ticket, Joe?" "W'y, ye snide, dat means I 
wasn't flush, 'n' had to hit de ties wid my soles. 
Wa'l, I uz stampin' along, 'n' purty soon I sees 
a passel o' biscuit shooters (girls) playin' dis yer 
Injin billiards, whar dey punch de ball wid a 
mall, 'n' I skinned over de fence 'n' sot down on 
de root o' de tree to larn de game. Wa'l, purty 
soon one o' dem caliker-kivered hairpins knocks 
a ball close to me, 'n' den nudder un picks up 'er 



292 Remmiscences of an Old Timer. 

ball 'n' comes 'n' freezes it ont' de fust un, 'n' puts 
'er foot on't, den she tries to make a six quisHin 
shot, but she miss-qued 'n' caromed on dis yer 
side-lamp o' mine wid 'er mall." " What did you 
do, Joe? " " Me ? Wa'l, 'bout the fust thing I 
done uz to dig de ground out'n m'ears 'n' eyes 
'n' git up ; den I tole dat she-rooster if I didn't 
know no more 'bout dat game'n she did, I'd rack 
my cue," 

At that time the mouth of Tukanon was the 
the handiest and nearest shipping point for 
Columbia County and the western portion of 
what is now Garfield County ; and the building 
of warehouses at this point (which we christened 
Grange City, the night we arrived there to com- 
mence work) was regarded at the time as an ex- 
periment. But it was believed that it would lead 
to the navigation of Snake river for at least nine 
months in the year whereas previously boats had 
only been run during the high water — about 
three months in the 3^ear. 

The hopes of those who started the enterprise 
were fully realized, and it was soon demonstrated 
that instead of three months, the river could be 
navigated for nine or ten months, and instead of 
120-ton boats those of 450 tons capacity could 
be run a part of the time, and were used until 
the O. R. & N. Co.'s railroad was completed to 
Riparia, above the most dangerous of the rapids. 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 293 

Then tHe road having tapped the grain-producing 
section — which had theretofore been tributary to 
Grange City — -and furnished more rapid transit 
to the same points, virtually killed the river trade 
for a distance of over two hundred miles. About 
half a million bushels of grain is annually 
shipped by this railroad, which is raised in the 
section for which Grange City was formerly the 
only accessible shipping point. But of course 
the country has made rapid strides in develop- 
ment since the advent of the railroad. 

While canvassing among the grangers and 
business men of the section named, for means 
with which to build the first warehouse at Grange 
City, in 1875, and since then — as I have had oc- 
casion to pass over different portions of this 
country and visit the thriving towns — I couldn't 
help noticing the changes that have taken place 
since the Indian war of 1855-56, where, but a 
few years before, we volunteers while marching 
in phalanx, had " kept a weather ej^e out " for 
the fiendish redskin, and where, six years after- 
ward, the tired foot-traveler rolled himself up in 
his blankets for a night's quiet slumber alone, 
we used to keep out pickets and a double guard 
while dressing wounds and burying comrades — 
the victims of the " noble red man," as the latter- 
day Indian-loving cranks are pleased to call 
them. The " arid wastes " were soon known as 



294 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

the " elysian fields of the stock raiser," and later 
the cow and sheep retreated before the plow and 
the barbed wire fence. Homes and hamlets now 
dot the once arid wastes, and when this country- 
is thoroughly advertised every acre of it will be 
utilized and made to yield good profits to the 
thousands of husbandmen who are now awaiting 
tangible proofs of its remarkable resources and 
its health-giving climate. 

The remnants of the different Indian tribes 
have profited by experience, and are gradually 
adopting the ways of the "Bostons," to their own 
advancement and comfort and the peace and 
dignity of these United States and Territories. 

The old maxim, " Spare the rod, and spoil the 
child," is, I am happy to know, fast getting into 
disuse among all nations and races ; but it fre- 
quently comes handy, and should be " filed away 
for future reference." Even at this writing I 
imagine that Uncle Sam ought to keep it in 
sight. 

Until the fall or winter of 1862 the greater 
portion of Idaho and all of eastern Oregon was 
embraced in the County of Wasco, State of 
Oregon, with the county seat at The Dalles, and 
men lived for years here who had to send 500 
miles for their mail, and also traveled that dis- 
tance to vote. Now there are ten counties in 
eastern Oregon and five in that portion of Idaho 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 295 

whicli was taken from Wasco County, and at 
each session of the respective Legislatures new 
counties are formed, and the post-offices are only- 
ten or fifteen miles apart. I mention these 
points as suggestive of the development which 
has just commenced. Being more familiar with 
eastern Washington, I give more proofs of our 
civilization. 



CHAPTER XX. 

The Nez Perce Indian War of 1877 — How the News Spread With- 
out Wires — Fleeing and Fortifying — Elected Captain of a 
Company of Volunteers Before Knowing of the Trouble 
— Some Lively " Rustling " — A Quick March — A Tender 
of Services to the United States — Armed — Jealousy Be- 
tween Volunteer Companies — As a Guide — A Tricky 
"Little Wonder" — A Forced Night March in a Wet 
Snowstorm — An Army Captain in a Soiled Condition — 
Damaged in Action, but Hurt in the Mud — Soldiers Bury- 
ing Comrades Some Days Slain — A West Pointer Foolishly 
Loses His Men — A Retreat From the First — Pursued — 
What I Know of a Camping Ground — General Howard 
"Tumbles to the Racket"— Why the Pickets Were Thus 
Posted — A Nervous Lieutenant Shoots a Sentinel — 
The Walla Walla Volunteers — A Company Scouting — 
Burned in Their Homes — Burying the Remnants of Set- 
tlers — Boating Under DifSculties — My Proposed Scout. 

THIS brings me down to tlie Nez Perce Indian 
War of 1877. 
Early in the summer of 1877 the news was 
hurriedly passed through the eastern part of 
Washington Territory — which had for twenty- 
one years been a peaceful countr}^ — that the Nez 

(296) 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 297 

Perce Indians, wlio had hitherto been friendly 
and courteous to the whites, had gone on the war- 
path in the northern portion of our neighboring 
Territory of Idaho, and their terrible war-whoop 
was resounding throughout Camas prairie and ad- 
jacent sections. The rusty scalping knife was 
performing its awful work. The partially civil- 
ized " noble red man" had doffed his religion 
and clothed himself in all the regalia and colors 
of his species. With his natural fiendishness 
and treachery, he had gone forth with gun and 
torch, and was killing, ravishing, burning or de- 
stroying every person or thing he found in his 
path. The few settlers of that portion of the 
country who had not been killed had collected at 
either Mt. Idaho or Grangeville, at the edges of 
Camas prairie, and fortified themselves as best 
they could. Many defenseless settlers with their 
wives and children had been ruthlessly murdered 
before they had time to avoid their danger. 

It appears that Joseph, the head war-chief of 
the Nez Perces, had; on taking the war-path, 
planned the murder of the settlers on Camas 
prairie, Salmon river and White Bird creek (the 
latter named for one of the war-chiefs) . When 
this news reached Dayton, the county seat of 
Columbia County, W. T., a company of forty- 
five young men was immediately organized, 
elected their officers, and sent for me, for they 



298 Reminiscences of an Old Titner. 

had made me their captaiu. They said they would 
go to the assistance of the north Idaho people if 
I would lead them. 

When this transpired I was some forty miles 
away, attending to some business for the Patrons 
of Husbandry; and had not heard of the out- 
break uutil the messenger met me one morning 
about 8 o'clock. Together we hastened to Da3^ton, 
arriving there about 3 p. m., where we found 
the boys rushing around, securing horses and 
other things needed for the trip. 

On my arrival I was warmly received by all. 
The command was tendered me, and I accepted it. 
It took us but a short time to secure horses, sad- 
dles, and the other articles required; for I told 
the boys I was sure that the government officers 
would be glad to receive and arm us. Late in the 
evening we moved out about seven miles, and en- 
camped near my farm for the night. I visited 
my wife and family and took leave of them. The 
following morning we resumed our march for 
Lewiston, 55 miles east, where we arrived that 
night. 

The next morning I tendered our services to 
Colonel Spurgeon, the representative of the 
government there, General O. O. Howard, the 
commander of the Department of the Columbia, 
having gone to the front, leaving Colonel 
Spurgeon to forward men and supplies, as fast as 



Reminiscences of an Old Tijner. 299 

tliey arrived at Lewiston, by steanier or otlier- 



wise. 



On presenting myself to the colonel I was 
received in a most courteous manner. He asked 
me whether I wished to cooperate with the United 
States troops, or go independently. I told him 
I was not able to arm, equip and maintain forty- 
five men in the field, nor were any of my com- 
mand able to do so ; that I proposed to attach 
my company to General Howard's forces, and to 
operate in accordance with his orders, and 
requested him to fit out my company. He said 
General Howard would be glad to have us 
with him, and that within a day or two he 
would have plenty of needle-guns and ammu- 
nition up from Fort Vancouver ; that on their 
arrival he wished that I, with my command, 
would escort some army-officers up to General 
Howard on Camas prairie. 

There had come to Lewiston, from Pomeroy 
(a small town, twenty-five miles east of Dayton) 
a company of about twenty-five men, under com- 
mand of one Elliott as captain, and B. T. Wil- 
son as lieutenant. This company proposed to 
act independently of the United States troops, 
and had asked Colonel Spurgeon for arms before I 
reached Lewiston with my command. On my 
arrival some of the men wished to consolidate, 



300 Reminisce^ices of an Old Timer. 

but tlie scheme failed. This gave the mischief- 
maker an opportunity and pretext for causing 
trouble. Of this trouble I shall speak more 
fully at the proper time. The evening after my 
arrival Colonel Spurgeon requested me to furnish 
a guide for a party of United States of&cers who 
wished to visit Lapwai, some twelve miles dis- 
tant. As it was believed there were Indians all 
round and through the country, they thought it 
best to go at night. I told the colonel that I 
would go myself About dark five or six officers, 
the colonel among the rest, assembled at the 
hotel at which I stopped. When my horse was 
brought to me the colonel asked : " Had you not 
better take one of our cavalry horses ? We in 
all likelihood will have to ride fast, and may be 
attacked, and that small horse of yours will not 
be able to keep up." I thanked him, and said I 
thought the little horse would do. This small 
horse was a half-blood " Rifleman," as white as 
a snowball, and a perfect beauty ; could run like 
the wind and had the endurance of a greyhound, 
but he wouldn't have weighed over 950 pounds, 
and as he stood alongside of the powerful cavalry 
horses he looked like a poor excuse to cope with 
those to be ridden by the officers, so far as speed 
and endurance were concerned. 

All being ready, we started, riding in couples. 
The officer riding by my side proffered me a 



-«g!f> 







4 v'^^J- iw'l 



Rejniniscences of an Old Timer. 301 

cigar, whicli I accepted. Dropping my bridle- 
reins over the horn of my saddle, I struck a 
match and was lighting my cigar, when my 
horse saw a pool of water ahead of us in the 
road, and as quick as a flash he was fifty feet 
from the road, and as quickly back by the side 
of the o£6.cer's horse. This was an old prank of 
his, and from long riding him I was used to his 
pranks. I had put in almost all my lifetime riding 
wild or tricky horses, hence he never shook me 
in the saddle. As I paid no attention to this 
little joke. Colonel Spurgeon remarked, " I see 
we have ridden a little ourself." "A little," was 
my reply. On over the high and almost level 
table-lands that lie southeast of Lewiston we rode 
at a rapid pace, and until we came to Lapwai 
creek, a mile below the fort. Here, as we had a 
level and smooth bottom before us, I proposed 
that we speed our horses. All agreed, and away we 
went. At the first jump"Whitey" took the 
lead, and rapidly left the party behind. On 
reaching the fort, we transacted such business 
as the of&cers came for. We remounted, and on 
our way back to Lewiston the of&cers were 
admiring my small horse. They said he was a 
"little wonder." I told them if we got into a 
fight, they would find that the Indians had hun- 
dreds of " little wonders," and a whole army of 
squaws and boys to bring up fresh " wonders " 



302 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

to replace those tired and crippled. The most — 
if not all — of these officers had served through 
the rebellion, but this was their first Indian cam- 
paign, and they were anxious to have me tell 
them of my former adventures on the frontier. 
They had been told of many of them before I 
reached Lewiston. 

Thus we rode along in pleasant converse, 
exchanging experiences; I telling of frontier- 
life — they of the many battles in which they had 
taken part during the great rebellion. 

I must say that a more sociable party than 
these gentlemen made, it was never my pleasure 
to pass a night in the saddle with. 

On the arrival of the steamer, my company 
was armed with 50-calibre needle-guns, and fur- 
nished sufficient rations to last them to Camas 
prairie. 

We started on a forced march for the front 
immediately, in company with a small body of 
mounted soldiers and officers, among the latter 
being Captain (now Major) Babbitt of the Ord- 
nance department. We moved on as swiftly «.s 
possible to Lapwai, and thence up and over 
Craig's mountain. As the snow was fast going 
off these mountains, the swales and flats were 
very mir}^ on the Camas prairie side. This part 
of the route we traveled in the night and in a 
snowstorm. While crossing a swale about eight 



Reminiscences of an Old Time7\ 303 

miles west of tlie Cottonwood House, at the edge 
of Camas prairie, word was passed along the line 
to the front where I was riding that some of the 
men in the rear had mired their horses and were 
calling for help. I halted the command, and 
quickly returning, found that Major Babbitt's 
horse — a heavy one — had mired down, and in 
floundering around had rolled completely over 
his rider before he could extricate himself from 
the saddle. We soon had man and horse out of 
the mire. The major was severely bruised, wet 
to the skin, and a perfect mud-ball. I consoled 
him by saying I was glad it was he instead of I, 
as he could report the damage done "in action," 
and draw a new suit ; while had it been I, it would 
have made a total wreck of me, as I had no 
" changes " with me and no fat uncle to draw on 
Again we mounted, and in company with the 
major I soon regained the front. As the majoji 
was chilled through and badly hurt, and it was 
storming — half snow and half rain — I saw that 
we must get him to a place where he could rest, 
warm and dry himself. Taking a few men with 
me I turned the command over to my lieutenant 
(Watrous), and we pushed on for the Cotton- 
wood House, some miles ahead, leaving the rest 
of the command to follow as fast as they could, 
encumbered as they were with pack-animals 
loaded with provisions, ammunition, camp 



504 Reminiscences of aji Old Tiyner. 

equipage, etc. We reached the house, having to 
carry the major the last raile or two, or support 
him on his horse. On our arrival we soon had 
a roaring fire and got the major in a comfort- 
able place; then I went out, stationed my jDick- 
ets, and anxiously awaited the arrival of the rest 
of the command, as we were now on the ground 
of the first demonstrated outbreak, later the 
scene of battles by both soldiers and volunteers. 
Some time after our arrival they all came in, 
tired, hungry and wet. The rear-guard reported 
that they had seen a large bod}^ of Indians 
on ponies in a gulch to the right of the road, 
about half a mile back. I took a few of my 
best-mounted men, and went back, onl}^ to find a 
band of Indian horses, quietly feeding in the gulch 
mentioned. Returning, we found plenty of hay 
for our horses. We soon had a feast prepared 
that the tired and hungry boys did full justice 
to, and even Uncle Sam's fat officers remarked 
that the}^ couldn't remember ever having eaten 
a meal they relished so much. 

The rest of the night passed without incident 
worthy of note. 

Early the next morning — Major Babbitt feel- 
ing able to ride — we crossed the prairie, and over 
the hills, to the head of the White Bird creek 
where we found soldiers under General Howard 
burying the remains of those who had been killed 



Reminiscences of aii Old Timer. 305 

a few days before, in Colonel Perry's command. 
It appears that Colonel Perry, with his com- 
mand, accompanied by a few citizens from Mt. 
Idaho, had come on to White Bird creek to look 
after the hostiles, and were found themselves 
by the Indians, who opening on them from the 
rock-crowned mounds with so withering a fire 
that their ranks were decimated like snow before 
a furnace. 

To whirl, and retreat toward Mt. Idaho was the 
word. This, from the first fire, was a complete 
stampede. The few survivors came straggling 
in, one by one, after riding a distance of about 
twenty miles pursued by the now j ubilant savages, 
who overtook many, and quickly dispatched their 
victims, continuing the pursuit nearly to Grange- 
ville. 

Here Colonel Perry lost thirty-three of his 
command, killed on this retreat, and left the dead 
to the tender mercies of the hospitable wards of 
our government. The scene of battle, as I 
viewed it, showed that there had not been any 
stand made after they were attacked ; as here and 
there would be found a dead soldier, who had 
been overtaken and killed. There were a few 
instances which proved that some of the soldiers, 
after being unhorsed, got to some rocks and made 
a gallant fight before they were finally dispatched, 



3o6 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

as the empty shells lying around their dead 
bodies testified. 

These dead soldiers were buried where they 
had fallen, as they were not in a state to be 
moved to a more suitable burial ground. 

About four o'clock we reached headquarters, 
on White Bird creek, General Howard having es- 
tablished his camp for the night on the bottom, 
in front of the brush. My command coming up, 
I moved past his left flank and into the brush. 
Finding a small glade free from brush, we com- 
menced to unsaddle our tired animals, when an 
officer approached and inquired for Captain 
Hunter. I was pointed out to him as I was 
assisting in unpacking a horse. He rode up to 
me, and said it was the wish of General Howard 
that my company should take a position for the 
night on his extreme left, fronting the bushes. 
To receive orders was to obey them. Saddling 
up again, we moved out to the chosen ground, 
and were again preparing to relieve our horses of 
their loads and saddles, when the " one-armed 
hero of Gettysburg" rode up, accompanied by 
some of his officers, and asked for me. As I ap- 
proached he introduced himself I then reported 
myself and command, and formally tendered our 
services. He said he was glad to have us with 
his command ; that he had heard of me as having 
had much experience in Indian warfare. He said 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 307 

lie would designate Lieutenant Wood as the 
officer to supply the wants of my company. 

He then asked my object in going into the 
brush to camp ; I asked in return if he believed 
there was any likelihood of our being attacked 
during the night. He said he thought it more 
than likely. "If so," I said, "The Indians will 
be either in the brush or on those mounds, and 
I had much rather they would try to drive my 
command out of the brush than to have to drive 
them out." 

The general frankly said: "I have not had 
much experience in Indian warfare. You can 
take up your quarters for the night wherever you 
choose. From what has been told me I have con- 
fidence in your judgment, and will leave the 
upper creek for your company to guard and pro- 
tect. About sundown we will visit the outposts 
and see how they are arranged." Then, return- 
ing my salute, he rode back to his headquarters, 
accompanied by his officers. After preparing our 
camp I went out about half a mile to place picket 
guards on the upper creek. We dug a rifle-pit 
on the opposite side of the creek from the camp, 
on the side of a gulch. I gave the pickets their 
instructions, then went down the gulch, about 
half way to the creek, and posted three others. 
In the brush at the bottom of the creek I left 
three more. 



3o8 Reminisce7ices of an Old Timer. 

Near sundown the general witli his staff came 
to my camp. I joined them, and we visited 
the pickets. Reaching my first pickets the 
general asked one of the men what they 
would do in case of an attack on their post. 
The answer was, " Fire and retreat to the post 
below, where there are three others ; and in case 
of firing on the creek, repair at once to the post 
attacked." We then visited those in the gulch, 
who said they were, on the arrival of those from 
above them, to fall back to the creek bottom, to 
the three there, and with them hold out as long 
as they could, or until the company came to their 
relief. 

The general expressed himself as being well 
satisfied with the arrangements. The other side 
of the creek was left to the care of the soldiers, 
as was also the creek-bottom below the camps 
(the bluffs on each side being so steep and 
rugged, that we didn't fear an attack from there). 

Nothing in particular occurred this night, 
except that a young lieutenant mistook one of 
his guards for an Indian and shot him, while out 
relieving the guard. I think he killed his man, 
but the full particulars I have forgotten. 

This creek was the scene of most of the depre- 
dations of the outbreak. At this writing I am un- 
able to give the names of any considerable number 
of the sufferers, but suffice it to say it was dis- 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 309 

tressing to see tlie beautiful homes that had been 
destroyed, and their owners ruthlessly murdered 
at the hands of those they had fed and treated 
well on their visits. 

Morning approaching, the command moved on 
for Salmon river, a few miles distant. Here I 
will state that on our coming up to headquarters 
we found Captain Tom Page in command of a 
a small company of Walla Walla men. They 
had rendered valuable service to General How- 
ard up to the time of our arrival. Captain Page 
was an old timer — one of the earliest settlers in 
the Walla Walla valley, well adapted to Indian 
warfare, and would have done good service if he 
had remained ; but his command was mostly 
composed of business-men from Walla Walla, 
and could not well remain longer away. So, as 
it was believed that Howard had now a sufficient 
force to cope with the hostiles, his command was 
discharged, and he and they returned home. 

As my command had been on a forced march 
from Lewiston to this place, we were left in camp 
for some hours, but the men becoming restless, 
I moved on to the fronjt. We could see Indians 
on the opposite side of Salmon river, and it was 
believed that they were strongly fortified, and 
would give us battle upon our crossing the river. 
Reaching the summit of the high hills that over- 
looked the river, I dismounted my men, left a 



3IO Reminiscences of a7i Old Timer. 

few in charge of the horses, and with the others 
ran swiftly down the steep hills to some cabins 
that had been built years before by miners. We 
then scouted up the river to where the White 
Bird trails struck it. Here I found Howard's 
headquarters already established, and was soon 
joined by those I had left in charge of the horses. 
Having obtained permission from General How- 
ard, I, with a part of my company, went up the 
river a mile or two, to where one Mason and 
others had been killed and burned up in their 
cabins. My recollection is, that in all there were 
three killed and burned here. We collected all of 
the remains we could find (there was little left 
but the feet, which were incased in boots), and 
buried them. We found an old skiff that had 
been split in two, which we managed to patch up ; 
then we made paddles out of boards, and I and 
one of the boys paddled it down the river to 
headquarters, the rest of the boys running along 
the bank, ready to cover us in case of an attack. 
On reaching the main force I proposed to 
cross over the river and make a reconnoissance, 
but for some time was restrained by the general, 
who said it was too dangerous a mission for any 
one to undertake, until all could cross. 



CHAPTER XXI. 

r Wanted to Know — No One Anxious for that Walk — He 
Could Run; But Didn't "Hanker for the Honor" — A 
Nervy Stock Man — Preconcerted Movements — "Captain, 
You are Spreading it on too Thick ' ' — A Daring Descent — 
Postponed the Feast — Raised a Black Head, and I ' ' Cov- 
ered It " — "Didn't Play Hog Worth a Cent " — Foraging 
' ' After Garden Truck for the General ' ' — An Army Order 
— Another — Reconnoitering — A Hard Ride — General 
Howard as a Fellow Scout — Was it a Trap ? — I Would Soon 
Know — Booty Captured Single Handed — The General 
Commanding Disobeyed Me — Had I Doubted His Bravery ? 
— Howard Said: "I Never Forsake a Comrade" — "He 
Can't be Left Alone in this Affair" — My Ideas on the 
General's Plans, Movements, Activity, Persistence, De- 
termination, Forethought, and Devotions, Compared 
with Stay-at-home Soldiers. 

UPON consultation with General Howard, and 
after I had told him that I should like to 
know what was ahead of me, before attempting 
to cross my company (for, as we had but one 
small boat, we were liable to be cut off in detail 
on the other side) . The general finally gave his 
consent for me to try it. I asked any one that 

(3") 



312 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

wanted a little fun to accompany me on this little 
walk on the opposite side of the river; but as we 
could plainly see the smoke arising over the hills 
from the burning houses, some four miles distant, 
where it was believed the Indians were in force, 
not one of the men volunteered to accompany 
me. 

There was a young man in my company by 
the name of John Long. He was stout and ac- 
tive, and I believed he would " stand fire," if 
necessary. He was first sergeant of the com- 
pany. I told him that I might need at least one 
man on this scout, and I thought he could run as 
fast as I could ; and it was my peremptory order 
that he should accompany me. " Well, captain," 
he replied, " I have told you that I would obey 
orders, and I'll go with you ; but I don't hanker 
after the honor ! " 

We were about to step into the boat which had 
been manned by soldiers, to set us across the river, 
when a gentleman by the name of Randall, who 
had been looking after his stock and was now 
with the command, came up to me and said, 
"Captain Hunter, if I had a gun yoii shouldn't 
go on this scout with but one man." 

A square look at him told me that he was a 
•brave and cool man. I asked my orderly sergeant 
(Crawfood) to lend me his needle gun and belt 
for the evening, which he did. I handed the gun 



Remmzscences of an Old Timer. 313 

and belt to Randall, saying that I liked his looks, 
and would be glad of bis company. Randall was 
afterwards captain of a small company of volun- 
teers tbat was organized at Mt. Idaho. More of 
him later. Taking General Howard's field glass, 
we (Randall, Long and myself), was set over the 
river, and started up the side of the mountain to- 
ward the creek, where the smoke was curling up 
from the burning buildings. 

Gaining a short distance from the river, I 
stopped by some rocks, and gave my directions 
for advancing and my plan of retreat in case of 
being attacked. 

This was after we had studied the ground to 
be passed over ahead of us, and closely scoured 
every object that would secrete an Indian. I was 
to proceed ahead a few hundred yards, or till I 
could find another bunch of rocks; then stop, 
and scan everything ahead as well as each side 
of me. Randall and Long were to stay where 
they were, till I gave them the sign to advance, 
which would be my rising and starting forward ; 
then they were to move rapidly to the place last 
left by me, and lie down and stay there till I 
signaled them to again move forward. In case 
of an attack, they were to stay where they were 
till I reached them, when they were to retreat to 
the last place they had made a pause at, and hold 
as before, I covering their retreat, and they in 



314 Remmzscences of an Old Timer. 

turn covering mine; and so on till we reached 
the river bank again. 

Slowly on we went as described, from cover to 
cover, for some two hours, our every move being 
watched by General Howard's signal officer, who 
reported to him our progress, as we were in view 
of headquarters for some miles as we proceeded. 
On reaching the summit, we stopped for some 
time, closely scanning the bottom and burning 
house, we could see several beeves as they lay, 
having just been killed, and meat stuck upon 
sticks, cooking before a fire, not far from the 
burning house. There was a small field near the 
house in which was wheat and a fine garden 
growing; the wheat was just heading out. As 
we could not see any Indians after scanning 
every object that would cover a foe, with our glass, 
I raised and prepared to move down the mountain 
to the field and cabin, turning to give some in- 
structions to Randall and Long. Long said, 
" Captain, you are spreading it on rather thick." 
I saw from Long's and Randall's faces that they 
fi lly realized that this was a daring and probably 
a foolhardy undertaking. I asked Randall, " If he 
were placed in my position, whether he would 
return and report Indians from what we had seen, 
or go at all hazards to the burning buildings ; or, 
until we had actually seen some of the hostiles, 
before we returned and made our report." 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 315 

He said, "I would do as I know you are going 
to do ; either know tliat there are Indians there, 
or know that they have left." And I knew that 
he meant what he said, so telling them to observe 
the same manner in moving, that they had in com- 
ing up the hill, I started down to the creek, followed 
by Randall and Long as before. On my reaching 
the fence on the creek bottom, I signaled my two 
comrades to me, and told them I should go up to 
the burning cabin and the brush, and pointed out 
the places where I should expect the Indians to 
be concealed. Then I moved out of the range 
between them and these points and walked 
cautiously toward the cabin ; or, more properly 
speaking, what was left of it. I passed the dead 
beeves and cooking meat; and just as I was 
within a few yards of the burning cabin, some- 
thing began to move in the tall rye grass that 
was growing around a root-house near by. I 
could see a black head raise slowly; and as this 
was the place I expected an attack from, at the 
first shake of the grass and move of the black 
object, my gun was to my shoulder, I took aim, 
but just as I was in the act of pulling the trigger 
I saw that it was a black hog which had been 
lying in the grass, but she didn't play hog worth 
a cent, and came near getting her head shot off, 
for her lack of " hog manners." She had raised 
her head so slowly, that it appeared to me in 



3i6 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

every way like an Indian, cautiously preparing 
to shoot at me. 

This episode convinced me that there were no 
Indians near at hand. So calling to my comrades 
to run forward to the brush, I made a few jumps 
when I was in the tall grass and soon moved 
from tree to tree, on the bottom — up and down 
the creek — which I continued to do till I was quite 
certain that the Indians had left. Their "sign" 
was very fresh, and everything went to prove 
that they had hastily left but a short time before 
we arrived. 

We then went into the garden and filled our 
pocket-handkerchiefs with new potatoes and young 
onions. While we were in the garden we heard 
the reports of several gun shots, above us on the 
side of the mountain, which caused us to hurry 
to cover ; and, as we had gained all the knowl- 
edge we had come in search of, and reached the 
place we started for, we returned to headquarters 
as cautiously as we had come. 

The boat was waiting to carry us over, as we 
had been in plain sight for some time coming 
down the mountain side. On reaching head- 
quarters, we were questioned by the general, 
who was very much surprised when M^e told him 
we had seen no Indians, for he as well as others 
at headquarters had heard shots in our direction 
while we were over the high ridge or mountain. 



Reminiscences of a7i Old Timer. 317 

After giving a full report of what we had seen, 
I said (jokingly), "I knew there were no In- 
dians over there, otherwise I shouldn't have 
gone ! " There was a scout or two present ; one 
of them asked me what I went for. I answered 
(as I presented the general with the handker- 
chief), "Knowing the general was fond of on- 
ions and new potatoes, I went over after some, 
there being no garden nearer." The general 
accepted the handkerchief, and a rather " loud 
smile " broke from the lips of all present. This 
scout put me on good terms with all of the army 
officers. 

That evening I received the following from 
General Howard : 

HEADQUARTERS DEPT. OF THE COLUMBIA. 
In the Field. 

Camp Hodges, near Mouth of White Bird, I. T., 

June 2g, 1877. 
Special Field Order, No. 20. 

Captain George Hunter, commanding Dayton Volunteers, 
will report with his company to Captain Marcus P. Miller, 
4th Artillery, for duty. 

By command of Brig.-Gen. Howard, 
(Signed,) ^ M. C. Wilkinson, 

ist Ivieut. 3rd Inf., 

Aid-de-Camp. 

The next day was consumed in crossing the 
river, but as my company was first over, I re- 
ceived the following order : 



3i8 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

Special Field Order, No. 22. 

Captain George Hunter, commanding Daj^ton Volunteers, 
will, at 6 p. M. to-morrow, makeareconnoissance in the direction 
of Pittsburg Landing, and examine the country- thoroughly as 
he proceeds, especially in the direction of Joseph's reported 
encampment. 

By command of Brig. -Gen. Howard, 
(Signed,) M. C. Wilkinsot^, 

ist lyieut. 3rd Inf., 

Aid-de-Camp. 

Pursuant to this order I selected ten or twelve 
of my best mounted men, and, in company with 
a signal officer — furnished by the general to ac- 
company this expedition — we pushed on up the 
mountain in the direction of Canoe Encamp- 
ment. We found the mountain very steep and 
hard to climb. On reaching the summit, we 
soon struck Joseph's trail, which was broad and 
easily followed, as Joseph had hundreds of horses 
with him. These trails we followed some dis- 
tance ; then swung around, and returned by the 
way of Pittsburg Landing. Arriving at the sum- 
mit of the mountain, we tried for some time to 
attract the attention of those at headquarters on 
Salmon river, twelve or fifteen miles away, but 
we failed to " catch their eye." 

After fully satisfying ourselves that the Indians 
had gone toward Canoe Bncampment — on Snake 
river — we returned, having traveled over forty 
miles over rough mountains, and the most of the 
way without a trail. 



Remmiscences of an Old Tinier. 319 

The next day, as I was in tlie lead with my 
company, on starting out to follow the Indians, 
General Howard said he would like to scout 
ahead with me ; and, as the command was about 
ready to move we started on ahead. I had three 
or four of my men with me, and the general had 
two soldiers with him. It was storming, about 
half and half snow and rain. About eight miles 
from the river we came to where a house had 
been burned ; the logs were yet on fire, making 
a good place to stop and warm. 

As the general had told me he was expecting 
General Greene to come through on the trails 
from Boise, and hoped to meet and form a junction 
with him, I told the general whilst he was wait- 
ing the coming up of the command I would take 
one of his men and go a short distance ahead and 
see if I could find any indications of General 
Greene's approach. I, with the soldier, started 
up the mountain through the timber, and had 
not proceeded more than a couple of miles, when, 
on looking through the timber, we saw a large 
number of horses at the head of a gulch in the 
timber. These horses being quiet, I feared that 
it was a trap or ambush set by the Indians for 
our especial benefit. 

Telling the soldier what my opinion was, and 
that General Howard was too far in advance of 



320 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

his command for safety, I requested him to return 
to the general and inform him of the suspicion 
I had regarding horses discovered, and to tell 
him that he had better fall back to the advancing 
command. The soldier started back at once, and 
after I thought he had had time to reach the 
general, I started through the horses on a run, 
determined to get the Indians after me, if there 
were any there. Then, as I was well mounted, 
I would make in the direction from which Gen- 
eral Greene was supposed to be coming, thus 
giving our general time to reach the command. 
But, on my dashing among the horses, they 
" struck out," and I was satisfied there were no 
Indians near, and that these were mostly horses 
and mares which they probably couldn't well 
drive with them. By circling them around, I 
soon got them under control, and drove them to 
where I had left General Howard — there being a 
good corral there. 

Reaching there, and corralling the horses, I 
found General Howard sitting quietly by the fire 
in company with the other men, and coming up 
to him I asked : 

" General, did you not get the word I sent back 
to you ? " He said, " Yes. But, captain, you cer- 
tainly would not do as you have advised me to 
do, would you?" I said: " Certainly not ; for 



Remmzsce7ices of ait Old Timer. 321 

tlie command cannot well spare you, while I 
would not be missed except by my family and a 
few friends. Your past history is a sufi&cient 
guarantee of your bravery ; but it doesn't war- 
rant you in jeopardizing a life that is of great 
value to all, in making a scout that anj^ one else 
could make as well ; nor would it reflect credit 
on me, if I didn't do all in my power to prevent 
suck a disaster." He said, " Captain, I fully 
appreciate your action ; but I came out with you, 
and for the time / am a scout^ and I never forsake 
a comrade in danger?'' 

Stepping to one side, I questioned one of the 
men who was with the general when the soldier 
that I sent back returned, asking him what the 
general said to my courier. He said that the 
general had asked, " Where is Captain Hunter ? " 
and being told that I proposed to get the Indi- 
ans after me, if there proved to be any, and give 
him time to get back to the command, he said : 
" Get your horses ready, and if we hear any 
shooting, we will go to the captain. He can't 
be left alone in this affair." And he quietly 
maintained his seat, until I came in with the 
horses as before stated. I relate this incident 
only as a matter of justice to the man I believe 
to be an able, brave and courteous of&cer. As 
the preceding pages show, I had served with 



322 Reminisce7tces of an Old Timer. 

General Lane, Bob Metcalf, Ben Wright, Nathan 
Olney, Colonel Kelley, and many other brave 
and efficient officers and frontiersmen, but I feel 
safe in saying, that I do not believe I ever served 
with or under the command of an abler general 
or a more pleasant and courteous gentleman in 
all my life. His actions were very severely 
criticised by the stay-at-home soldiers in the 
Northwest, who pronounced him slow in his 
movements, wanting in energy, and, lastly, as 
consuming too much time in his " devotions." 
But as I am well informed, the general had up 
to that time never had any experience in Indian 
warfare ; had but few men, and nearly all he had 
at command had met with very disastrous defeat 
at the hands of the hostiles, and probably could 
not be depended upon ; and to overtake the hos- 
tiles with infantry before they chose to be over- 
taken, on their own selected ground, no man of 
sense or experience would expect. To say that 
General Howard strained every nerve in this 
campaign to overtake and punish the hostiles 
with such soldiers as were available, is no more 
than just. The fact of his hiring every team 
that could be had to haul his weary infantry 
across Camas prairie, to enable him and his com- 
mand to strike Joseph at Kamai, where he 
defeated him, and forced the Indians across the 



Reminiscences of a7i Old Timer. 323 

mountains into Montana, should be sufficient 
proof of his energy and determination. 

It is true that Joseph was met at Big Hole by 
General Gibbons, who made a most gallant fight, 
and inflicted severe punishment on Joseph's 
band of hostiles, and not getting off " scott free " 
himself, drew off, satisfied for the time. But 
General Howard, like a sleuth-hound on Joseph's 
trail, came upon this battle field, and, without 
halting, kept on preying on his trail till Joseph 
was finally intercepted by General Miles in East- 
ern Montana, who captured him. General How- 
ard " was in at the killing," proving that he had 
strained every nerve and taxed the strength and 
energies of his command to their utmost to over- 
take and punish the hostiles. I believe every 
man who has traveled over the rough trails fol- 
lowed by Howard on that occasion, will agree 
with me when I say, the orAy wonder was that he 
kept as close to Joseph as he did, and I will here 
say that those who accuse the general of being 
slow, and " spending too much time in praying," 
would themselves, in all likelihood, if they had 
been in his command, have put in all their time 
in praying to get out of the scrape and back to 
their distant growling posts. 

But I must go back to my story, for it is not 
in my power to do the man Howard the justice 



324 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

due him for accepting tlie services of tlie volun- 
teers, putting steamers on the rivers in the ser- 
vice of the government, as guard vessels, in the 
Nez Perce war as well as the Bannack war, there- 
by showing the croakers that he was not only 
willing but anxious to receive all the help he 
could get. He is certainly not to blame for the 
Government's failing to remunerate the volun- 
teers as yet, whom he armed, fed, and, in some 
instances, clothed, during the troubles. 



CHAPTER XXII. 

"I Can Go Where You Can"— But He Had to Go Rather 
Slow — A Camp in a Wet Snowstorm — An Irritating 
Counter-march — Forethought — Dividing Rations With 
Regulars — A Pompous Quartermaster — Fight — A Fine 
Stock Country — On the Trails — A Flank Movement — A 
Forced March — Lieutenant Raines and Eight Men Killed 
— McConville's Company of Volunteers — General How- 
ard's Order of Appreciation — Protecting a Command — 
"Shoot Down Your Horses for Breastworks" — The 
"Little Wonder" Works Wonders — Surrounded Soldiers 
Relieved — The Fight of the Gallant Seventeen — Captain 
Randall's Heroic Death — Some Others Mentioned "for 
Instance" — A Congressman's Son " Kissed By a Minie- 
ball— A Fool If he Did, A Coward If he Didn't— We Had 
Been Helpless All the While — As an Escort — "A Fool 
For Luck" — As Lieutenant-Colonel of Idaho and Wash- 
ington Volunteers — Shot by a Member of the Command. 

THB command coming up, the horses I had 
captured were placed in charge of the proper 
parties, then General Howard ordered me to go 
with my company the nearest route to the trails 
of the hostiles on the top of the mountains. I 
told him I hadn't discovered any trail leading up 

(325) 



326 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

the mountain, but as he had scouts with him who 
knew the country well, they could doubtless pilot 
us over the best route up the mountain and to 
the trails of the hostiles. He asked, " Can you 
find the trails of the hostiles? " " Certainly," I 
replied. " Then," said he, " Lead with your 
company, I can go where you can." This settled 
it. I took the straightest shoot I could up a spur 
of the mountain. On going a short distance my 
boys discovered a lot of Indian caches containing 
flour and other articles, together with wearing 
apparel made from dressed deer skins. 

The route we had chosen . up this spur of the 
mountain proved to be a hard one ; but we toiled 
on, hour after hour, and finally reached the sum- 
mit and struck the trails. We pushed on some 
fifteen miles, when, night coming on, we went 
into camp in a small bunch of timber near the 
trails. It was storming hard, snow and rain. 
After we had arranged camp and got good fires 
started, and I had placed my guards for the night, 
a courier came in and said it was the general's 
order that we fall back to him at the crest of the 
mountain we had climbed, and that he had been 
unable to get his artillery and provisions up the 
hill yet. 

In a few moments my command was again in 
the saddle, and on the way back to headquarters 
through mud, snow and rain, with very little of 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 327 

the grumbling that would be expected among 
such a class of men under the circumstances. 

About midnight we arrived at headquarters and 
found rousing log fires, built by the general's 
order for us to camp by (we had no tents). This 
act of kindness and forethought on the part of 
our general put all in good humor, and we fell 
to work making coffee, and preparing as good 
a meal as was possible under the circumstances. 
We carried ten days' rations on animals that be- 
longed to our command, and while we were eat- 
ing, one of the boys asked some of the regulars 
who had been building fires for us to take a cup 
of coffee with us, which invitation was gladly 
accepted, none of the command had eaten any- 
thing since morning and had no hope of getting 
anything to eat till next day noon, as they had 
not been able to get their packs up the mountain. 
There being some officers present, I told them 
my men would divide what rations they had with 
them for the regulars' supper, and we would soon 
get the train up the hill in the morning. The 
offer was quickly accepted, and we divided our 
rations with them gladly. 

Karly the next morning we got the quarter- 
master's stores up to camp. On their arrival I 
repaired to General Howard's tent and asked him 
for an order on the quartermaster for extra ra- 
tions for my company. " Did you not draw the 



328 Reminiscences of an Old Tinier. 

day before yesterday for ten days?" lie asked. 
" Yes," I replied, " but, finding your soldiers out of 
provisions and supperless last night, we divided 
our rations with them." " That was very kind of 
your men," said he, " and I will go with you myself 
and see that you get extra rations." Accom- 
panied by some other ofl&cers, he went with me 
to the quartermaster's tent. The quartermaster's 
name I have forgotten, and I don't care to recall 
it, but at our approach the general told him of 
our having divided our rations with the soldiers, 
and he should issue more to us. He stiffened 
up, and in a pompous tone of voice said to the 
general, " I will have to put a guard around your 
tent to keep these fellows away from you ! " 

I had heard of some scurrilous remarks that 
this same of&cer had made in presence of some 
of my men about the volunteers while we were 
climbing the mountain, and this insult added to 
that was a " lee-tle " too much for me, so I said: 
" I presume these people " (the volunteers) " are 
getting you a little nearer the hostiles than 
you want to be ! I heard yesterday that you 
said, ' the volunteers didn't earn their salt.' 
Now, don't you think they'll fight if they get a 
chance ? " 

He, in his egotistical way, replied, " I don't 
think they will." I asked him, " can you fight 
a little ; have you got a gun ? If you have, get 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 329 

it, and I'll prove to you that there's at least one 
volunteer who will fight you." Then I gave 
him a "blessing" which he will probably re- 
member during the rest of his days. Here the 
general interfered and gave peremptory orders 
for double extra rations for my command, and 
it was filled to the letter without further com- 
ment. 

He was relieved that day by the general and 
sent back to Vancouver, I was informed. Prob- 
ably he thought Vancouver a more healthy place 
for a man of his temperament ; that he would be 
more capable of moving around down there than 
he would be in the presence of the cowardly (?) 
volunteers; that the government needed more 
clerks than valiant soldiers. This was the last 
I ever saw or heard of that kindly quarter- 
master. 

It was also the only instance of ungentlemanly 
treatment I remember the volunteers receiving 
at the hands of any of the general of&cers. After 
we had gotten up the Quartermaster's stores and 
the artillery that morning, we took up the trails 
and followed the hostiles at our best speed. The 
trails led along the top of the mountain in the 
direction of Canoe Encampment, on Snake river. 
The summit of this mountain is comparatively 
level prairie, interspersed at points with timber. 
This is a grand grazing country. Thousands of 



330 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

broad acres of ricli and abundant grass, with 
water plenty, furnisli the finest of summer 
ranges, wbile the deep canyons, with little bot- 
toms, rank with shrubbery and tall grasses, 
furnish food and shelter for cattle and horses 
during the winter season. 

Toward night we camped on a small rivulet, 
nearly opposite the mouth of Rocky canyon. 
Just after forming our camp we received word 
by courier that Joseph had made a flank move- 
ment and swung around back to Camas prairie ; 
that he then had Perry's and Whipple's com- 
mands surrounded near the Cottonw^ood House. 

These were the troops that had been so roughly 
handled in the White Bird can3^on. They had 
been sent back by General Howard from Salmon 
river for ammunition and supplies, and were 
attacked at the Cottonwood House, where brave 
young Lieutenant Raines lost his life. He was 
out with eight or ten men (soldiers), making 
a reconnoissance, and was cut off by the Indians, 
and the whole party killed after making a gal- 
lant fight. 

This news resulted in my company of forty- 
five men and Captain McConville's company of 
fifteen Lewiston volunteers being sent on a 
forced march across the country by the way of 
Rocky canyon to the Cottonwood House, to the 
relief of Colonels Whipple and Perry. As the 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. ■ 331 

most of my command were young farmers wlio 
were needed at their homes to care for their 
crops, and Howard thought he had sufficient 
United States troops to cope with the hostiles, he 
sent an order by the men he dispatched for boats 
to cross us over Salmon river, from which order 
the following is an extract: 

HEADQUARTERS DEPT. OF THE COLUMBIA. 

In the Field. 

Camp Raines, Junction of Rocky Canyon and 

Canoe Encampment Trail, L T., July 4, i8yy. 
Special Field Order, No. 23. 

The Commanding General of the Department takes this op- 
portunity to convey to Captain George Hunter, and the indi- 
vidual members of his command, his thanks for the hearty, 
prompt and energetic manner in which they have responded 
to every call to duty during the period they have served in 
his command. 

Often sent in the advance under the most trying circum- 
stances, they have never failed to answer cheerfully to every 
demand to perilous duty. 

By command of Brigadier-General Howard, 

(Signed,) M. C. Wilkinson, 

Aid-de-Camp. 

Accompanying the foregoing was the follow- 
ing: 

Special Order, No. 23. 

Captain George Hunter, commanding company Dayton 
Volunteers, will proceed, via Rocky canyon, to Cottonwood, 
I. T., reporting, upon his arrival there, to the commanding 
ofificer. 



332 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

As soon as his services can be dispensed with on reaching 

Lewiston, I. T., Captain Hunter, with his company, is hereby 

relieved from duty with this command. 

******** 

(Signed as the foregoing.) 
Receiving tlie above orders, McConville's com- 
pany and mine (sixty-five men all told) made a 
forced march, to Salmon river, opposite the mouth 
of Rocky canyon, and there camped for the 
night. The next morning the boats reached us 
about daylight, when we ferried our men and 
supplies over, swimming our horses, and pushed 
on over the mountain for Camas prairie. On 
the top of this mountain we met another courier, 
who stated that fighting was still going on at 
Cottonwood. So we hurried on to the prairie, 
where we stopped half an hour to rest our horses 
and partake of a lunch ourselves. From an 
adjacent hill we could see men riding back and 
forth near the Cottonwood. This assured us 
that the fight was still going on. Soon remount- 
ing, we rode across the level prairie as fast as 
our horses could stand it. At about sundown 
we were among the low mounds or hills a few 
miles from the Cottonwood House. Then, as 
we could not see any signs of the Indians, or hear 
any shooting, we concluded that they had drawn 
off to attack us, and were lying in concealment 
among these hills. We believed they could 
make it warm for us before we were able to reach 



Reminiscences oj a7i Old Timer. 333 

the soldiers. Having arrived at this conclusion, 
we called in our advance-guards. I liad told 
McConville I would do tlie scouting through 
these hills myself, and in case he was attacked 
he had better have our horses shot down, and 
use their bodies for breastworks, for they were so 
tired that it was almost impossible to get away 
from the Indians on them. The Indians would 
be mounted on fresh, fleet horses or ponies. All 
must make up their minds to either whip the 
Indians or themselves be killed to a man. 

Captain McConville was an old soldier, but 
without experience in Indian warfare. He was 
a brave man and a good officer. He requested 
me in case of an attack to return and assume 
command of our men. Getting ready to go for- 
ward, I told him to keep his men a few yards 
apart, and to move only as I should signal to 
him from time to time as I passed over the hills, 
and to always keep a good place in view whereat 
to make a stand and fight. 

All being understood, I passed rapidly ahead, 
from mound to mound, closely examining the 
ground for evidences of the presence of Indi- 
ans as I went, and signaling McConville as I 
proceeded over mound, hill, gulch and flat at as 
rapid a pace as my " Little Wonder " could carry 
me; and until in the fast gathering darkness I 
heard a loud voice saying, " Don't shoot at the 



334 Reminiscences of an Old Tinner. 

man coming on that white horse, that is Captain 
Hunter — I know his riding." The sentence was 
hardly finished when I galloped up the slope, 
and into the midst of a squad of soldiers who 
were standing around a gatling-gun near some 
rifle-pits. I was soon grasping the hands of 
Major Babbitt and others. 

This hill had been fortified with rifle-pits by 
the soldiers, who had defended and held it 
against Joseph's entire force for a day or two. 

Captain McConville soon came up with our 
two commands. But our rejoicings at having 
gotten in so easily were soon turned to exclama- 
tions of sadness as we listened to the particulars 
of the gallant fight that had been made a few 
hours before our arrival by seventeen Mt. 
Idaho men. 

As it was told to us, Captain Randall (the 
brave man who crossed Salmon river on the scout 
with me as before related) had returned to Mt. 
Idaho and organized a company of seventeen 
volunteers. 

Hearing of the perilous position into which 
Colonels Perry and Whipple had placed them- 
selves at Cottonwood, this brave little band 
started across the prairie in broad daylight to 
their relief. 

They had got within a mile of the soldiers 
when they were suddenly attacked by a large 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 335 

number of Indians who were mounted on swift 
ponies. The Indians would circle around them 
in relays of fifty or sixty, firing on them as they 
passed. 

The heroic seventeen were soon dismounted 
and down behind their dead or dying horses re- 
turning the fire with their repeating rifles and 
revolvers, with a cool bravery that was never 
surpassed, if equaled. 

Brave Randall soon lay mortally wounded be- 
side his dead horse ; yet he coolly continued to 
give his orders and pour his deadly fire into the 
savage circle till he finally died while in the act 
of reloading his gun. Houser had been severely 
■wounded in the first of the engagement, but he 
fought on like a lion at bay, not ceasing for a 
moment until the hostiles withdrew. 

Young Fenn, son of Idaho's delegate to Con- 
gress, distinguished himself for cool bravery, as 
did all the rest. He received a " warm hiss from 
an Indian," as he afterwards expressed it, by a 
minie-ball grazing his lips and badly burning 
them. Captain Curley, Eph. Bunker and Major 
Geo. Shearer were among the rest, equally brave 
and determined in this affair, which was witnessed 
by the United States troops under the command 
of Colonel Perry, who was severely censured by 
the volunteers for not rushing to their relief. 
But there were many things for him to consider. 



336 Reminiscences of an Old Timer, 

The troops under liim had been terribly cut to 
pieces but a short time previous, and it was 
doubtful if they would stand fire ; and if he was 
defeated he might not be able to hold out till re- 
inforced, which would entail the loss of the mu- 
nitions and supplies which he was trying to take 
to General Howard. Not wishing to censure any 
one in this case, or to take part in the dispute, I 
will say that Geo. Shearer expressed something 
near my opinion when he exclaimed — as he 
viewed the situation from the hill where the sol- 
diers were fortified, and took a quick look at the 
struggling seventeen, surrounded, as they were, 
by whirling, yelling, painted fiends, and then 
dashed down to their assistance — " The man who 

goes down there is a d d fool, but he's a 

d d coward if he don't ! " 

It was said by some that the soldiers did finally 
move to their assistance, while others say they 
did not. 

The foregoing was written as it was related 
to me at the time, as nearly as I can recall it 
now. Possibly there are some points incorrectly 
stated ; but some time in the future I hope to 
have the opportunity to write this up more fully 
and better. 

It was believed that the Indians had seen me 
and the command approaching across the prairie, 
and that the warm reception they had received 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 337 

at the hands of the seventeen Mt. Idaho boys 
was a " pointer " to what they might expect at 
the hands of sixty-five men of similar habits. 
At least they drew off in the direction of the 
Kamai Reservation pretty soon. On the arrival 
of our two commands the boys were soon in camp 
and listening to different accounts of the happen- 
ings of the past few days at and near the Cotton- 
wood House. 

About this time a young man — hardly more 
than a boy — by the name of Bluitt was killed 
while out scouting with a comrade, but the cir- 
cumstances I have forgotten, as they were only 
told to me. 

The next morning I received orders to escort 
the dead and wounded of the brave seventeen 
across the prairie to Mt. Idaho. Fully ex- 
pecting the Indians would give us battle when 
they saw us out in open ground, and as we had 
never tried our needle guns, I ordered my men 
to try them at a target. The boys moved out, 
and, to our utter astonishment, not one in twenty 
of our cartridges would fire, as one after another 
of the boys attempted to test their guns. 

Then things began to " rumble," and the air 
was resonant with " cuss words" as we all began 
to realize the helpless condition we had unknow- 
ingly been in while making the dangerous and 
toilsome marches of the past few days, sometimes 



338 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

almost into the jaws of death, encumbered with 
heavy belts filled with worthless cartridges, 
which rendered our guns useless except as clubs, 
and only a portion of the command provided 
with small arms. 

Major Babbitt, who had issued these cartridges 
to my men, being present, he at once had other 
cases brought out, opened and examined. He 
said there had been some damaged cartridges 
discovered before, and by accident we had got 
hold of some of them. We were all satisfied that 
it was an unintentional mistake, and could see 
that the officers who furnished them to us felt 
really worse about it than we did, as they fully 
realized that if we had been attacked during our 
forced march to their relief there would not have 
been a "grease spot" left of either McConville's 
or my own command to mark the spot where we 
fell. This incident I note to show that some- 
times luck favors those who are unable to favor 
themselves. In other words, " a fool for luck ! " 

Being furnished with good cartridges, we started 
across to Mt. Idaho with the dead and wounded, 
arriving there without molestation. The next day 
we buried the dead. 

As we were now away from the government 
troops, and were not likely to be able to rejoin 
them for some time, and the hostiles being near 
us, it was thought best to consolidate the Idaho 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 339 

and Washington volunteers and form a regiment, 
there being three companies of Idaho men ; and 
one (my own) from Washington Territory, After 
some delay we effected an organization by elect- 
ing Captain McConville, Colonel; myself Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel, and George Sears Major, of the 
ist Regiment of Idaho and Washington Volun- 
teers. 

This necessitates an allusion to a very un- 
pleasant circumstance that took place after this 
organization was perfected in which I was per- 
sonally concerned. 

The bickerings and jealousies so common to 
volunteer organizations now manifested them- 
selves more prominently, and the ever-present 
mischief-maker and tale-bearer seized the oppor- 
tunity to ply their vocations, which were managed 
so skillfully as to bring about a personal verbal 
encounter between E. T. Wilson (formerly 
lieutenant of the Pomeroy company, but now 
attached to Colonel McConville's company) and 
myself, which culminated in my receiving a 
pistol-shot wound in the shoulder and neck. 
Wilson surrendered himself to the civil authori- 
ties, and I was taken to the hospital for "repairs." 

Wilson soon learned the actual facts in the 
matter over which the altercation took place, and 
sent me his explanation and apology, with the 
urgent request that he be allowed to nurse me, 



340 Reminisce7ices of an Old Timer. 

and do all in his power to repair the damage he 
had hastily done. When the time for his exami- 
nation arrived, there being no prosecuting wit- 
ness who chose to appear against him, he was 
discharged, and after remaining with me a few 
days returned to his command. 

There are many versions of this affair, but as 
the matter has been adjusted between Wilson 
and myself — as we have since met, and are now 
on friendly terms, both regretting the unfortunate 
occurrence which was brought about by third 
parties, and both deem it a matter of the by- 
gones — I shall pass it with the slightest mention 
that I feel justified in giving it in carrying out 
my promise to write in this book the events of 
my life. 

The volunteers moved on in the direction of 
Kamai, under command of Colonel McConville, 
leaving me in the hospital among those who were 
suffering from wounds inflicted by the Indians. 



CHAPTER XXni. 

In the Hospital — Nursing Wounds — The Kind People of Mt. 
Idaho— The First Shot of the Outbreak— Flying for Shel- 
ter — The Attack — Valiant Wounded — A Youthful Courier 
— Shot Through Both Legs Beside Her Dying Husband — 
A Young Lady Wandering for Refuge — Three Days in 
the Brush Naked with Her Babies — Stabbed by the Chief 
Because She Wouldn't Submit — Murdered Children — A 
Friendly Squaw — Fifteen Days in the Brush with an 
Arrow in Him — Her Father an Involuntary Witness — A 
Broken-armed Baby Girl Found — Pat's Catholicism Saves 
the Two Women — Witnessing the War-Dance over His 
Daughter — Other Indian Atrocities — Why They Cut Out 
the Child's Tongue— The Fiends Pensioned ; Not So With 
Orphans — The Tongueless Supplication — Some Suggest- 
ions to Congressmen — Volunteers ' Horses Killed — A Bad 
Story Regarding the Boys Cures Me — The Plain Facts in 
the Case — The Volunteers Sent Home in an Ambulance 
With a "Toney " Escort — Home Again, and Shelved. 

HONORABLE L. P. BROWN'S hotel at 
Mt. Idaho was the hospital. Doctor 
Morris (now of Lewiston) was the physician in 
charge. The nurses were attentive, careful and 
kind, and the citizens of the place seemed to vie 
with each other in their attention to the wounded. 

(341) 



342 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

Doctor Morris deserves special mention for his 
kindness and surgical skill ; while Brown seemed 
worried for fear something might be left undone 
that might in some way lessen the sufferings of 
the wounded and the homeless. 

I cannot find words to express the gratitude I 
feel toward those good people for the many kind- 
nesses they showed me while I was an inmate of 
their hospital. 

I conversed with many other of the inmates, 
and heard many sad and revolting accounts of 
the atrocities perpetrated by the Indians when 
they first demonstrated their " abilities " and 
" attainments." I shall mention a few as I can 
recall them to memory, though after a lapse of 
ten years my memory may be faulty in some 
instances. Mrs. Ben Norton, who was lying 
there with a gunshot-wound in each leg, related 
somewhat as follows : 

About the first act of the Indians, at the out- 
break, was the mortally wounding of Lew Day 
(an old timer in this country, and an old friend 
of mine), while he was traveling on the road 
near the Cottonwood House, of which her hus- 
band was the proprietor. Day managed to work 
his way to the Cottonwood House, where he 
reported the happening and probabilities to Ben 
Norton, who soon concluded to take his family 
and Day to Mt. Idaho, seventeen miles away, 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 343 

that being the nearest place of safety, where a 
doctor could be found to dress Day's wounds. 

Norton's household consisted of Mrs. Norton, 
a little boy and Mrs. N.'s sister (a young lady), 
and, I believe, another woman with some chil- 
dren. There were also two or three men stop- 
ping with him at the time. I am not positive as 
to the latter statement. But, at any rate, Norton 
hastily hitched up a team and started with the 
wounded man and the women, accompanied by 
the men who happened to be there. It was after- 
noon when they started. The road, for the most 
part of the seventeen miles, lay across a level 
prairie, and they drove as fast as they could till 
they g'ot within a few miles of Mt. Idaho, 
when the Indians came upon them. Then — as 
I understand it — they had a running fight for 
some distance, and until the Indians shot down 
one of the horses that was hitched to the 
wagon, and soon afterward killed the other. 
Thus the devoted party was left at the mercy of 
the inhuman butchers. Night came on, as 
though to draw a veil over the hellish work of 
these painted reservation pets of our govern 
ment. 

Norton was mortally wounded, and dying by 
the side of his brave, noble young wife, who had 
been shot through both legs. Their little boy 
made his escape in the darkness, and finally 



344 Reiitiniscences of an Old Tuner. 

made his way to Grangeville and gave tlie alarm. 
Mrs. Norton's sister escaped on the prairie, and 
was found wandering around the next day. 
Poor Lew Day, mortally wounded as he was — 
with one other man, I think — kept the Indians 
at bay till morning, when relief came from 
Mt. Idaho and Grangeville. Norton was dead, 
Day died in a day or two, and one of the 
other men was wounded and soon after died, and 
I believe one of them was killed there. Mrs. 
Norton finally recovered. 

It would require a far more able pen than a 
rough old pioneer can command to portray the 
sufferings experienced by that little band on that 
occasion, even if I could recall all of the story 
told me by Mrs. Norton. 

At about the time of the above-mentioned 
attack, a general attack was made upon the 
settlers along the White Bird and Salmon rivers, 
as alluded to in a previous chapter. 

A recent chat with two or three of the parties 
who were conversant with occurrences at that time 
has refreshed my memory on one or two points. 

Mrs. Osborne, whose husband was killed on 
the bar when Mason was killed, appeared at the 
residence of Mr. Cone, on Slate creek, three 
days afterward, with her little children. The 
only garments she had on were her stockings 
and chemise. She was covered with blood, and 



Reminiscences of an Old Tirner. 345 

in every way gave evidence of having received 
the most inhuman treatment. 

A friendly squaw, who, from her infatuation 
for gambling, was called To-lo (Chinook for 
"wager"), was, at the outbreak, furnished by 
Mr. Cone with a fine horse, and sent to Florence, 
a distance of twenty miles, for aid. She soon 
returned with seventeen men, who assisted Mr. 
Cone in building a stockade and remained with 
those who collected there till all danger had 
passed. 

To-lo told of many of the Indian outrages, 
among the rest that of Mrs. Manuel. Manuel 
made his escape by getting into the brush and 
lying there for twelve or fifteen days, living on 
berries, and with the spear of an arrow still in 
his shoulder. 

The Indians attacked Manuel's house and took 
all of his family prisoners, except Mrs. Manuel's 
father, who escaped to the brush on the river, 
and, lying there concealed, witnessed some of the 
atrocities perpetrated upon the family. 

Mrs. Manuel and her children being captured, 
the Indians burned the house, killed her little 
boy, broke her baby girl's arm, and then Chief 
Joseph stabbed Mrs. Manuel to death because she 
resisted his infamous attack upon her person. 
Her remains were never found, but the little baby 
girl was found wandering around by an Irishman 



346 Remi7iiscences of an Old Timer. 

named Pat Price, who made a kind of a chair out 
of a box, put the child into it, swung it on his 
back and started for Mt. Idaho. IMeeting a 
lot of Indians, who surrounded him, he opened 
his bosom, exposing a cross which had been 
pricked there, in India ink, and told them to kill 
him if they wanted to. Pat was a Catholic, as 
were many of the Indians, and he believes that 
the sight of the cross saved his own life and that 
of the child. At any rate, having exposed his 
breast with the cross on it, Joseph's men per- 
mitted him to pass, and didn't molest him in 
any way. And this brave fellow brought his 
little broken-armed charge safely to Mt. Idaho, 
having toiled over fifteen miles of mountain 
trail, burdened as before stated. The night after 
that massacre Mr. Baker (Mrs. Manuel's father) 
witnessed the Indians' war-dance, which was kept 
up nearly all night. Could the mind of man 
conceive of the feelings of that aged man as he 
lay there watching their fiendish jubilee over the 
remains of a loved daughter and a grandchild ? 
Having every reason to believe the other child 
had met the same fate, as well as his son-in-law, 
conceive of him, if you can, lying, hour after 
hour, in close proximity to these red fiends, a 
silent witness of their imp-like dance, after (as 
he supposed) they had committed the last of his 
loved ones to torture and death, while at any 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 347 

time his slightest movement or the breaking of a 
twig might prove the signal for his death, either 
by the bullet, knife or torture. 

There are few, if any, of the survivors of those 
scenes who doubt To-lo's story. Yet, the sur- 
vivors of that band of fiends were returned to 
Kamai by the government some years later ; I 
suppose, as a reminder to the widows and orphans 
of pioneers of the hospitality of the " noble " 
red man. 

In this hospital I saw a child — a little girl — 
whose tongue an Indian had cut off because she 
was crying while seventeen other of these fiends 
incarnate were outraging her mother in her 
presence. I saw women whose husbands had 
been killed, and in many instances left to burn 
in their flame-begirdled houses while they were 
being outraged and otherwise tortured, and then 
turned loose to wander in their nakedness in 
search of a place of refuge, homeless and widowed. 
And now, ten years afterward, the blood rushes 
through my veins so fiercely that I can scarcely 
hold my pen while trying to convey to the reader 
a faint idea of the horrors of an Indian massacre ; 
and I ask myself the question, why will those 
reared in peaceful homes, in the lap of luxury, 
far from danger, persist in writing and preaching 
pitying words and sentences about the lazy, 
skulking demons of the far west. 



348 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

The survivors of this same band of fiends were 
a few years afterward returned to Kamai and their 
old haunts by our sympathetic Indian bureau, 
because their health was not good where they 
were (perhaps also as a reminder, to the widows and 
orphans of butchered pioneers, of the bounteous 
hospitality of our glorious government), and are 
now being fattened and clothed, at government 
expense, while the widows and orphans gaze on 
the sleek red pets, dressed in gorgeous red 
blankets and with painted faces ; and their hearts 
(those of the widows and orphans, I mean) swell 
with patriotism as they contemplate the evidences 
of the gloriousness of our free and just govern- 
ment. 

It is possible that in their dreams, in the " stilly 
hours of the night," they fancy they again hear 
the fiendish war-cry or see the glittering scalping 
knife gently drawn around the heads of fallen 
husbands and fathers, removing the locks they 
have so often fondly caressed ; and with a shriek 
and a start they awake, to realize that " 'twas but 
a dream" and that the same generous protectors 
(?) have been returned, to remind them of former 
kindnesses (?) received at their hands, thereby 
furnishing them a guarantee of future peace and 
protection. 

Now, after the lapse of ten years, it seems to 
me that I can almost hear the baby whose tongue 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 349 

was cut off by these gentle protectors, as it tries 
to utter its evening prayer, including sucli sup- 
plications as these: "Give, oh, give me back 
those who outraged my mother, butchered and 
burned my father ! Oh, thou mighty men who 
control the destinies of Indians, and ignore the 
white widows and orphans, left homeless, maimed 
and outraged, to wander in their nakedness to a 
place of safety or of death; oh, we pray thee, 
take them under thy protecting wing, furnish 
them and their children teachers, blankets and 
food; but do not, in your pity, assist the poor 
widows and orphans of your white brethren, left 
naked, heart-broken and far from their relatives; 
for we realize that it is far preferable to be tortured 
by educated Indians than to be killed by ignorant 
savages. Oh, give us back our Indians ! Furnish 
them with reservations, schools, annuities, black- 
smiths, carpenters, farmers, doctors and mission- 
aries, that we may in the near future be exter- 
minated in the most scientific manner, while our 
poor widowed and orphaned white trash are 
allowed to go to — (their neighbors for a home 

and assistance)." Let it be so recorded. 
****** 
Within a day or two the volunteers were at- 
tacked on a hill where they had made a stand, 
but the hostiles found them too strongly fortified, 
and drew off after having succeeded in capturing 
a number of our horses. 



350 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

The ball had been extracted from my neck, 
and I was able to move around a little when the 
courier arrived at Mt. Idaho mth this news. I 
proceeded forthwith to secure a sufficient num- 
ber of horses to remount our men, and sent 
them to the command. 

A day or two later a courier brought in word 
that the Indians had engaged General Howard 
in battle at Kamai, and that the volunteers had 
refused to assist him in the fight, and moved 
down to Clearwater on their side of the mount- 
ain, General Howard being on the opposite 
side of Clearwater from Mt. Idaho. When I 
heard this I induced a one-armed courier named 
George Greer to bring my horse to me, and to 
fill my canteen with water. Then we quietly 
left the hospital and Mt. Idaho, and went for 
the scene of battle as fast as we could, armed 
only with one old revolver between us. On go- 
ing into the hospital I had loaned my gun and 
revolver to a party whom I believed could make 
better use of them in the field than I could in 
bed. Being both well mounted, we made good 
time, and arrived at Kamai just after Howard's 
cavalry and McConville's command, together 
with a few Indian scouts, had been repulsed on 
the Lo-lo trails. 

I believe I have neglected to state heretofore 
that not all of the so-called Nez Perce Indians 



Remmiscences of an Old Timer. 351 

had joined Chief Joseph in his insurrection. 
There seemed to be a number of factions in 
that tribe, and many of their able-bodied men 
had either remained neutral during this trouble 
or had come out pronouncedly in favor of the 
whites, some having joined Howard, and done 
good work for him. 

A few of these friendly Indians were killed or 
wounded in this affair, but I believe there were 
no other casualties on the part of the whites. 

The volunteers and cavalry, having found the 
hostiles too w^ell posted in the timber and brush, 
had returned to Kamai. 

My first inquiry upon meeting General How- 
ard was as to the conduct of the volunteers dur- 
ing the battle of Kamai, of which I had heard 
the uncomplimentary report at Mt. Idaho. 
He said there was no blame to be attached to 
McConville's command, that their showing them- 
selves on the mountain was all that could be 
expected of them under the circumstances; for 
they, by their presence there, were attracting the 
attention of the hostiles to a certain extent, and 
preventing them from flanking Howard and 
returning to Camas prairie, where the people 
were now almost at their mercy. Besides, if 
McConville had attempted to come down to him 
with so small a body of men, the Indians would 
have undoubtedly cut him up badly. Finally, he 



352 Rei7iiniscences of an Old Timer. 

said, that McConville liad used good judgment, 
and done all that was necessary to be done 
on his side of the river. 

Having subsequently made a thorough investi- 
gation of this matter, I am satisfied that Colonel 
McConville did a wise thing in keeping his com- 
mand where he had posted them between the 
Indians and the Camas Prairie settlements ; and 
judging from the hard fight that the Indians 
gave General Howard, who had artillery and a far 
greater number of troops than McConville had 
volunteers, I am sure that the latter would have 
been " handled without gloves, and knocked out 
in the first round," if they had attempted to go 
to Howard. His losses at the battle of Kamai 
I can't remember, but they were quite severe, 
as the well-filled hospital at Grangeville testified. 
Joseph's loss could not be ascertained, for — as is 
usual with the Indians — they quickly disposed 
of their dead and cached their wounded. 

It was generally believed that most of the 
so-called friendly or neutral Indians, who had 
remained on their reservations since the out- 
break, professing fealty to the whites, had lent 
Joseph a strong hand in this battle, and quietly 
returned to their homes when Joseph's people 
retreated toward the Lo-lo trails. 

General Hov/ard also told me that he had, just 
prior to my arrival, given Lieutenant Watrous 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 353 

permission to return with, the Dayton volunteers 
to Mt. Idaho for me, and then to go home 
with us, as our term of service had expired, and 
all the volunteers would be relieved, he now hav- 
ing, as he believed, suf&cient regular forces to 
drive the hostiles out of Idaho ; and other large 
commands were marching from the eastward to 
intercept them on the other side of the mountains, 
all of which proved to be true, as before stated. 

At his peremptory command (or request) I 
remained with General Howard over night, he 
having had good bed made up for me in his own 
tent. My company had already been discharged 
and was on the way to Mt. Idaho after me, 
while I was riding to the front on a different 
route. The next morning, as my fast ride had 
greatly irritated the wounds in my shoulder and 
neck, leaving them in a bad condition, the gen- 
eral sent me in an ambulance to Fort L-apwai, 
with two officers to accompany me. The jour- 
ney occupied nearly two days. 

At Lapwai I procured a horse, and rode on to 
Lewiston in company with a friend. That night 
I suffered much from my wounds, as riding in the 
hot sun had greatly inflamed them; but the 
careful attention which Madame French, of the 
Hotel de France, bestowed on me, enabled me to 
soon proceed homeward by stage. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 

Slightly Disfigured, but Still in the Ring— What the Boys 
Did Next — They are Good Men Too — An Acknowledged 
Debt Unpaid — "Why this Thusness, " Who is to Blame 
— How Came Those People There — A Pretty Strong Pre- 
cedent — A Shame and an Outrage — "The Remnant" 
— Volunteers First — Indians Don't Print their Edicts — 
The Courier— The Effect— "In One Time, " And That's 
What They Do — Then Come the Troops, And That's 
What They Do— "Why Not"— "Scarce a Voice"— 
" 'Twas Ever Thus"— Some Ideas of My Own— A Short 
Descriptive Sketch — A Golden Basin — An Evergreen 
Fringe — Rare Sport — Mountain Music — A Chance for 
You— And That's What Ails My Head. 

REACHING liome, I was shelved for some 
weeks (experimenting with probing irons 
and healing plasters), but, under the skillful 
nursing and care of my wife, I recovered from 
my wounds, and came out slightly disfigured but 
"still in the ring," and had the pleasure of again 
meeting most of the men who had so gallantly 
served with and under me. 

They had returned to their homes, and their 
several occupations, and were pursuing their 

(354) 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 355 

different vocations — seemingly not realizing that 
they were heroes, that although they had passed 
through the greater portion of an active and 
ferocious Indian campaign, and came out almost 
unscathed, they still had afforded succor, quietude 
and peace of mind to the greatly imperiled citi- 
zens and their families as well as to some be- 
leagured troops. 

Perhaps it would not be out of place for me, at 
this writing, to say that while these brave fellows 
were under my command, they cheerfully obeyed 
my every order, or command, without regard to 
their personal sufferings, from cold, wet or hun- 
ger; or the peril they might undergo, in so doing, 
and did so cheerfully. And now, after the lapse 
of ten years, I reckon them all as being among 
my very best friends. What I say of my own 
company is equally true of the Idaho boys who 
were in our regiment, always responsive, willing 
and prompt. And all of them are entitled to 
much better treatment than they have received 
at the hands of our government. 

Ten years have elapsed since they performed 
the services exacted of them by the general com- 
manding (an agent of the government), who has, 
both verbally and in writing, acknowledged the 
services, rendered at the time they were most 
needed, as is heretofore shown in these pages. 
Yet, not one dollar of indemnity or remuneration 



356 Reminiscences of a7t Old Timer. 

has eitlier of them received as a token of the 
recognition by the government of their prompt 
efforts to protect the weak and defenseless in 
response to the request and written command of 
its agent, the commanding general. 

Then, too, they furnished their own horses, 
clothing and equipments, and, in many instances, 
their own arms and ammunition, much of which 
proved a total loss to them while acting under 
orders, and for which they have never been re- 
munerated. The citizens of North Idaho, who 
had been induced to cross the continent, thereby 
enduring hardship, toil and privation, and at 
fearful cost in the early days, to settle in, and 
commence developing that beautiful portion of 
the northwest, in the full belief that the govern- 
ment had subdued the murderous hand of the 
savage and would protect them in the peaceful 
occupation of their new-made homes, have not 
as yet received a cent of indemnity for the loss 
of stock, buildings and other improvements sus- 
tained by them, or those upon whom they were 
dependent, at the hands of these wards of our 
rich and powerful nation. 

While the volunteers and soldiers of other 
wars and insurrections have been paid, and well 
paid, for the time they serv^ed, and if by chance 
they were from any cause partially disabled, by 
wound or disease, they are well pensioned, as are 



Remimscejices of an Old Timer. 357 

also their widows and orphans after their de- 
mise, and the people of the States have been in- 
demnified for all the damage they sustained by 
virtue of any incursion or raid, and even the 
citizens of Oregon, for losses sustained in the 
Bannack war of 1878. 

I believe I am warranted in saying that it is a 
shame and an outrage on the enterprising pion- 
eers of our territories that the representative 
men of our country should allow themselves to 
overlook, or ignore, the very righteous claims of 
the sufferers from such unexpected uprisings, 
and those of their brave fellow-citizens who, re- 
gardless of their own welfare and prosperity, 
rushed peremptorily to arrest the fiendish hand of 
those government pets, and protect the remnant 
of once happy and prosperous families. 

'Tis true that the " remnant" is usually small 
after such raids, and, as a rule, had it not been 
for the timely interference of volunteers, there 
would have been no remnant at all ! 

And I must say, further, that to my personal 
knowledge not an Indian outrage has occurred 
on the Pacific Coast during the past thirty-five 
years but what the volunteers afforded the first 
succor and relief to those endangered, 

Indians, unlike foreign nations, neglect to an- 
nounce through all the leading newspapers that 
they intend to declare war, but they leave that 



35S Reminisceitces of an Old Timer. 

matter to those who unexpectedly come upon the 
ashes or embers of the happy home of the pre- 
vious day, and while gazing at the remains of 
friends around are aroused by the soul-piercing 
cry of a wandering infant, the only remnant. 

No horse too fast to carry that news ! None 
too fast to spread it ! As the courier is dashing 
through some little village, burg or hamlet, he is 
unduly stopped by those who saw him approach- 
ing, who inhale the exhaust from the lungs of 
his panting horse while listening to his brief 
but blood-curdling story. And as the horse 
bounds on towards the nearest post or telegraph 
station, with rowels deeply inserted in his bloody 
sides, the cry goes up, re-echoing in the heavens, 
" Boys, get your guns, and come a runnin'; 
there's women and children in peril ! " Then 
come the volunteers, in " one time and four mo- 
tions " — hear it! mount! travel! fight! And 
that's what they do, without awaiting orders 
from any superiors. They rush to the scene of 
massacre and danger to the settler, and either 
peremptorily dispel the fiendish hell-hounds, or 
hold them in determined check until the courier 
has arrived at his destination. Orders and 
counter-orders are sent and repeated ; a slow 
coach, hired at three prices, to transport officers, 
and the famous United States troops, by order 
of the Secretary of War, come " tramp, tramp, 



Revtiniscences of an Old Timer. 359 

tramp," to the protection of loyal citizens after 
the work is done, and to coax the red-handed fiends 
back on to their reservations, with a new outfit 
of blankets, knives, beads, paint and government 
grub, while the tortured and suffering women 
and children are left unaided to rebuild their 
homes — once beautiful and happy — over ashes, 
which will forever be associated, in their minds, 
with the war-whoop and scalping knife. 

Why not give to these women whose husbands 
were ruthlessly murdered — and in many instances 
before their very eyes, while they were under- 
going tortures from which death would have been 
a welcome relief — left penniless and almost 
naked, all by the action of government wards ; 
why not, I say, grant them a small pension, 
while you are voting from the overflowing govern- 
ment coffers princely sums to the widows of 
wealthy men who, for fame, plunged into the 
war and thought they did good service, were 
correspondingly well paid, not only during the 
war but during the rest of their lives — while the 
widows, the co-workers of the horny-handed 
pioneers are left to the charities of the survivors 
of their kind, with scarcely a voice raised among 
the representatives to plead the cause of those 
who were left "poor indeed." And if such move 
be made, hundreds stand ready to ridicule and 
ignore, while they are waiting for an opportunity 



360 Remi7iiscences of ait Old Timer. 

to vote pensions to the widows of oppulent and 
influential citizens, both civil and military. 

What I say of these prime movers in the de- 
velopment of this glorious Northwest, is but a 
re-echo of the cry for succor and relief, which has 
been ringing from time to time, since the landing 
of. the pilgrims at Plymouth, throughout the 
thirteen mother colonies, and westward as the 
frontiersman (The forerunner of the "Star of the 
Empire,") moved toward the setting sun, which 
cry is long unheeded by the sluggards, who fol- 
low twenty or thirty years in the wake of such 
men as Boone, Crawford, Kennon, Wetzel, Fre- 
mont, Carson, Meek, and Whitman, seeming to 
think that those who have subdued the savage 
and the native soil at first, ought to be able to 
maintain themselves, their families, and the 
widows and orphans of those of their fellows, 
who through the treachery of the viperous Indian, 
have fallen by the wayside and at the same time, 
help to pay munificent pensions to rich widows at 
fashionable resorts in states first developed under 
similar circumstances, and with similar sufferings. 

But in the language of my tribe, " Nika cupet 
wa-wa" (I have spoken). 

To give a faint description of Camas prairie, 
and its surroundings, may be proper here. 

The prairie or basin is bordered on the west by 
Craig's mountain, north and east by other spurs 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 361 

of tlie Blue mountains, and soutli by Salmon 
river and its mountains; all of the mountains 
named being covered to a greater or less extent 
with fir, pine, and tamarack timber. Near its 
northwestern boundary runs the Clearwater 
river. 

This beautiful basin is almost level for sixteen 
to twenty miles across, and about thirty miles 
long. Through it run several small creeks 
which form deep canyons as they approach either 
the Clearwater or Salmon rivers. The soil is a 
deep black muck capable of producing immense 
crops of wheat, oats, barley, fruit, and all but the 
most tender varieties of vegetables. Timothy 
grows to perfection, and immense crops of hay are 
raised. 

Craig's mountain is covered with scattering 
timber, except where it dips northward toward 
Clearwater, where it is no more than a fertile, 
high-rolling prairie. For several miles across 
the top the land is rolling, being drained by 
numerous streams of clear cold water, abounding 
in trout that furnish the citizens of Lewiston, 
Mt. Idaho, and the surrounding country, such 
rare sport and " brain food," as is seldom equaled 
in any country. While in the timber are to be 
found thousands of deer and grouse, and not a 
few elk and bear. The cougar and mountain 
wolf semi-occasionally break the stillness of the 



362 Remmiscences of mi Old Timer. 

peaceful air with their music. During the sum- 
mer this mountain and basin form a panorama 
of beauty and loveliness that would gladden the 
eye and heart of any lover of sport, health and 
varied scenery. The mountain ranges to the 
south and east are very much similar to that just 
described, those near Salmon river being, as a 
rule, less timbered and more rugged. 

Salmon river has for years been noted for the 
rich placer-mines along its banks and bars. Its 
mountains are also covered with a rich growth 
of nutritious grass, and are fast being covered 
with live-stock of all kinds. 

Further east on the tributaries of this stream 
are located the very noted Florence, Oro Fino, 
Warren's, and many other mining-camps, which 
were struck in the sixties, and are still being 
worked by hundreds of miners, while innumerable 
veins of rich ore pierce the mountains and await 
the advent of railroads, as intimated in another 
chapter, which will furnish employment to 
thousands of men and millions of capital. They 
have room for miners, mechanics, stock-raisers, 
farmers, professional men, and a limited number 
of festive politicians. [Of the latter we would 
prefer Democrats, for there are plenty of Repub- 
licans there now.] 

I might try in v:iy feeble way to give a more 
extended description of that valuable region in 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 363 

tlie Northwest, but if the reader is at all anxious 
to know more of it, he should personally inspect 
it. So I will add, that several railroads are 
already within close proximity to it, and it only 
consumes four or five days of your time, and a 
matter of twenty to fifty dollars for expenses to 
visit it, while it took the most of those already 
there from four to six months of weary travel 
over scorching plains, rough mountains and rapid 
streams, to perform the journey to this land of 
promise, and those who lived to reach it found 
themselves loaded down with poverty and alkali- 
dust, which two latter acquirements have left my 
descriptive brain considerably muddled. 



CHAPTER XXV. 

About My Tribal Relations — General Howard in Council 
with the Palouses — Big Thunder — A Close Wa-wa — 
Again I am Elected to High Position Unknowingly 
— An Early Morning Tender of the Honor — An Indian 
Circle without Yells — Duly Installed into Office — 
" Timus, the White Chief of the Palouses " — They Must 
Mind Me— The Sheriflf Didn't Make the Arrest— Two 
of " My Tribe " in Durance Vile — We Bailed Them Out 
— A Pony Present — How I Shipped Wheat — In Working- 
Dress— "The Old Man's On It, an' So's That Red Divil"— 
Entering Their Lands — As Expert — Transportation Fur- 
nished — The Way They Provisioned Me — " Kish-kish " 
The Contract Covered But One Drive — "Timus; Two 
Sisters; Kish-kish" — Quelling My Drunken Braves — 
Cus-cus — During the Smallpox Rage — They Would All 
Fight with Me. 

HAVING SO far recovered from my wound as 
to be able to resume my storage and for- 
warding business, I removed my family to Grange 
City, and was devoting my time and attention to 
shipments, when General Howard came down the 
river on his way to hold a "wa-wa" (council) with 
the Palouses, a small tribe of Indians who, owing 
to their peaceful habits, had never been forced on 

(364) 



Reminisce 7ices of an Old Timer. 365 

to a reservation, and continued to live by them- 
selves at the mouth of the Palouse river, nearly 
opposite my warehouses. I had become well 
acquainted with these Indians, especially with 
their head-chief Big Thunder. I had prevented 
them from taking part in the late Indian wars, 
and could converse with them quite fluently. 

General Howard, being aware of these facts, 
requested me to accompany him and act as his 
interpreter, with which request I cheerfully com- 
plied. 

Arriving at their headquarters, we met Big 
Thunder and the most of his head men in council 

Thunder told the general that their fathers had 
"lived and died here" (near the mouth of 
Palouse) , and that none of his people had ever 
promised to go on to a reservation; but they 
wished to remain where they were, take up lands 
in severalty, and become the same as white men. 

Howard told them that it was right to do so, 
and that was just what the great father at Wash- 
ington wanted all Indians to do ; and by so doing 
they would never be niolested by the soldiers ; 
and suggested that they should council with me 
from time to time, in making their locations and 
getting the numbers or description of the 
tracts which they wished to hold in severalty, 
and to gain such information as was necessary in 
conforming to the land laws. 



366 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

Big Thunder then asked why Hunter could 
not be their chief, as he (Thunder) knew that 
when the Indians and whites went to war Hunter 
was always in the lead with the " Bostons " 
(meaning volunteers). He also said that he had 
been with Pu-pu-mox, and was wounded at the 
battle of Frenchtown in 1855; that Hunter was 
there with the " Bostons ; " and that they (his 
people) had confidence in Hunter and would obey 
him. 

General Howard responded: "That is the 
right mind. Colonel Hunter and you will never 
get into trouble with the white folks." 

After some further talk the council adjourned. 
General Howard went his way toward his 
headquarters, and I returned to my warehouses 
and home. 

The next morning, just as the sun was peeping 
over the tops of the high hills for which the lower 
two hundred miles of Snake river banks are 
famous, my wife saw Big Thunder approaching 
with about fifty of the head men of the Palouse 
tribe. She called to me to get up, saying she was 
fearful that there was something wrong with the 
Indians, judging from their number and appear- 
ance. Getting up, I went to the door where I 
met Big Thunder, he having caused the others 
to halt some distance away. I asked him the 
meaning of this demonstration with so many 











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Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 367 

men. He said his people had held a big " wa-wa" 
the night before, and had made me their head 
chief, and that they had come over to inform me 
of the fact and to install me into office. He asked 
me if this was " my heart " (meaning could I act 
as their chief). I told him I would talk with 
him and them. So they formed a circle and 
seated themselves on the grass, when the chief 
informed me of their wishes, saying that I was 
elected head chief. Big Thunder second chief, and 
Hoo-sis-mox-mox (or old Charley) third in rank. 
I asked if this was the desire of all their people, 
and, if so, if they would mind me, and keep bad 
Indians away from them, or arrest and turn them 
over to the whites to be dealt with. To all of 
which they responded in the affirmative, adding 
that they would mind my words, and in all 
things obey me as being their white father. 

After a " close wa-wa " (good talk), I formally 
accepted the position, and became an Indian chief, 
assuming (among my tribe) the title of " Timus 
Me-o-hut" (the White-Bearded Chief), and have 
ever since been designated by the different tribes 
of this portion of the country as " Timus, the 
White Chief of the Palouses." 

Here I must say that during the ten years 
since that day they have faithfully kept their 
promise. And perhaps I will be pardoned for 
inserting some incidents regarding " my tribe." 



368 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

Soon after I had accepted the chieftaincy some 
Indians broke into the Dayton Woolen Mills 
and stole a large lot of blankets and cloths. 
The sheriff of Columbia county, with a posse, 
followed their trails some thirty miles to where 
they found them encamped. Finding the Indians 
more inclined to fig:ht than to return with them 
under arrest, and the posse being poorly armed 
and too few in number, the sheriff contented him- 
self with securing a few of the stolen blankets 
and returning home without any Indians, Some- 
time afterwards a lot of my Indians (Palouses) 
happened to be in Dayton, when two of them 
were arrested as having been parties to the crime. 
One was named Mox-mox ; the other's name I 
have forgotten. By their talk and threats the 
sheriff and others had succeeded in frightening 
these Indians very much — so much, in fact, that 
Mox-mox attempted to hang himself in the jail. 
The word soon reached the Palouses, when Big 
Thunder, Hoo-sis-mox-mox and others came to 
me and asked that I should look after the wel- 
fare of the accused. After a long talk I became 
satisfied that the Indians arrested would be able 
to clearly prove that they were not the guilty 
parties ; so I accompanied Big Thunder and the 
others out to Dayton (twenty miles), and bailed 
the two out, they agreeing to appear in court on 
a' certain day about three months hence. The 



Reminiscences of an Old Tinier. 369 

bail was fixed at $600 each. I became surety for 
one and Big Thunder for the other. 

Many of my " Boston-til-a-coms " (white 
friends) told me I would have that $600 to pay 
into court ; but, to their surprise and my satisfac- 
tion, both of the bounden appeared promptly in 
court on the day set. The grand jury failed to 
find a true bill against them, and they were 
released and permitted to "go hence without 
day." 

Subsequently Mox-mox made me a present of 
five ponies, in consideration of my services. This 
Mox-mox was a young man, weighed about 180 
pounds, and was one of the most powerful men 
of the tribe. He came along one day in company 
with some other Indians, when I was in great 
need of manual assistance. I had about 7,000 
tons of sacked wheat stored in my warehouse, 
and when navigation opened in the spring (when 
the river had raised so that boats could pass over 
the rapids below my warehouse), the O. S. N. 
Co. made it a point to have things rushed in 
order to get out what produce there was along 
the banks of Snake river before low water. At 
this season of the year it was almost impossible 
for me to secure help in this isolated place to 
handle the sacks of wheat required to load a 
steamboat that carried from 250 to .400 tons. 
But — as I had commenced to relate — Mox-mox 



370 Rejnmiscences of an Old Timer. 

came along when my men were well worn out. 
I explained my situation, and asked him to work 
awhile. He said, " All right," doffed his blanket, 
and with nothing on but his leggings, moccasins 
and breech-clout, went to work. During the day 
we loaded a steamboat with 400 tons of wheat, 
and just as she steamed out along came another 
that wanted 250 tons more. This was about 
dark; but at it we went. At that time hands 
were very scarce on the river, and the officers of 
the boats had to humor their deck-hands consider- 
ably ; otherwise the hands would leave the boat 
without men enough to man her. I ran the sacks 
in a chute from the warehouse to the boat, a 
distance of about 200 feet. But when the river 
was high the incline, of course, was not so steep, 
and hardly sufficient to run the sacks to the boat. 
Hence, I had to raise the head of the chute in 
the warehouse and lower it at the foot to the 
deck of the boat to make the sacks run, thereby 
entailing on the deck-hands the necessity of stop- 
ping the sacks before they reached the deck, or 
pick them up off the deck to place them on the 
trucks, which they didn't like to do, and insisted 
that I should raise my end of the chute in the 
warehouse higher. This I declined to do, for, as 
I told them, it was much easier for them to lift 
the sacks a foot or two from the deck than for my 
tired men to lift them four or five feet in the 



Reminiscences of aji Old Timer. 371 

warehouse. We worked on till midniglit, the 
deck-hands doing lots of grumbling and very slow 
work. In a conversation with the captain he 
admitted that I was in the right, but said that if 
he took any part his hands would leave him; 
hence he must do the best he could. 

After partaking of our midnight lunch I was 
talking with the mate on board, when, seeing no 
men at work on the boat, and hearing some loud 
talk in the warehouse, I hurriedly went up ; find- 
ing the deck-hands in possession, and raising the 
chute, while my men were remonstrating. I 
stepped up and lowered the chute, telling them 
that their place was on the boat ; at this one of 
them made a move as though he would attack 
me. I pulled a knife and ordered them out 

Mox-mox, seeing the motions, knew I was hav- 
ing trouble, though he couldn't understand our 
language. Dropping a sack of wheat, he jumped 
to his blanket and jerked out a knife that was 
fully a foot in length. Then, pushing me back, 
said in his native tongue, " Go away, Timus ; I 
can kill them all." The boatmen hurriedly left, 
while he stood with that terrible knife poised and 
ready to strike " death to the dissenter " and we 
resumed work. 

In a few minutes I wanted to go on board, and 
was getting into the chute to slide down, when 



372 Reminisce7ices of an Old Timer. 

my men cautioned me, as they feared the deck- 
hands would attack me ; but I slid down, and as 
I stopped among them they assisted me to my 
feet, seemingly in the best of humor; one of 
them remarking, " Egad, the oul' man's on it ; 
an' so's the red divil up yander." 

Things ran pleasantly the rest of the night. 
Mox-mox worked about fifty hours all told, and 
when I was going to pay him, he said he wanted 
about two dollars. But as he had done as much 
work as any man I had, and I was paying them 
fifty cents an hour, I counted him out twenty odd 
dollars in silver. He took two or three dollars 
of it and passed the rest back to me saying, 
" You are my chief, keep it." I made him under- 
stand that it was his money ; but he would have 
me hold it for him, and he was over two years in 
drawing that money. 

One day Big Thunder came and asked me to 
go with him and others of the tribe to find the 
"corners" and "lines," and generally assist 
them in locating and entering their lands in 
severalty at the local land-office at Colfax, about 
sixty miles distant. I told him I would go, but 
as I was now an Indian chief, he would have to 
furnish me with a horse and rig ; and as that 
portion of the country was sparsely settled at 
that time, he would also have to board me on the 
. route. He said that was correct^ and that his 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 373 

people would see that I was mounted and fed as 
became the dignity of one filling so important 
a position. 

Early one fine morning I crossed the river to 
the Palouse village, where I was received with all 
the pomp and ceremony due my dignified rank. 
They mounted me on a finely caparisoned and 
magnificent half-breed horse. I had brought 
along in my cantinas some crackers and cheese 
and a little salt. I put my cantinas over the 
horn of the saddle, and was soon on the way up 
the Palouse in company with Big Thunder and 
another Indian named Bones, all bound for the 
Colfax land-office. After a rapid ride of twenty 
miles over high and precipitous hills, we again 
came to the stream near where a cold spring- 
creek empties into it. Big Thunder asked me 
if I was fond of trout. Receiving an affirmative 
reply, he said, " I have a trap (a set-net) with 
me, and as it is about noon, we will catch some 
trout and have dinner." " All right," said I ; 
" catch your fish." The two Indians dismounted 
and undressed ; then, taking the net, one at each 
end, they waded out into the little stream up to 
their necks, I all the while remaining on my 
horse, watching the maneuvers of my adopted 
brothers. Big Thunder said, " Timus, kish- 
kish!" (white chief, drive). It being a very 
warm day, I was anxious to take a plunge into 



374 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

the cool stream, but I realized the full dignity of 
my position ; so I said, " I am head-chief now, 
and you agreed to furnish the food on this mis- 
sion." " But," said he, " it requires both of us 
to hold the trap, and you must drive the fish." 
I jokingly argued with them a few moments, and 
then asked Thunder if he had a sister. " Yes," 
he replied. "Then," said I, "I'll kish-kish if 
you will give her to me." He soon saw the joke, 
and said, " Good, kish-kish." In a moment I 
was off the horse and into the water head fore- 
most, splashing, diving and swimming around, 
creating enough commotion to drive a pious trout 
up Jacob's ladder. Raising the net, we found 
two fine trout in it that would each weigh about 
a pound. 

Thunder then said we would go up a few hun- 
dred yards, to where some other springs came 
in, and catch enough for supper and breakfast. 
Remounting, we went up to the springs. Being 
again asked to "kish-kish," I again demurred, say- 
ing our contract only covered one drive. Big 
Thunder settled the matter by raising two fingers, 
and saying, " Timus, two sisters ; kish-kish." 
" The more the merrier," said I, and into the 
water I went again to earn the other sister. 
This time we had good success, and got all 
the trout we desired. We cooked some for din- 
ner, and rode on till near nightfall, camped, and 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 375 

the next morning rode into Colfax, transacted 
our business and returned. 

Arriving at the Palouse encampment, Big 
Thunder told all the Indians of our bargain, 
and then said to me, " There's my two sisters ; 
take them along ! " As I had one wife and 
plenty of family across the river, and had not 
understood any polygamous clause in the obli- 
gation I had taken as chief, I declined with 
thanks. 

I relate the foregoing to show that the Indian, 
like the white man, can enjoy a joke with those 
in whom he has confidence. 

Kt another time some of the young Indians 
had procured whisky, got drunk, and threatened 
to kill some white men. Big Thunder sent for 
me. Arriving near their camp, some white men 
warned me not to go further, as the Indians had 
threatened my life. But I went over, alone, and 
directly to the chief 's lodge, where I found nearly 
the whole tribe assembled, many of the young 
men being in war paint. 

The leading men shook hands with me, but 
most of the young men kept aloof One (Cus- 
cus by name, the son of an old chief) came for- 
ward, spoke of his troubles, and offered me his 
hand. I declined to take it, and told him I was 
ashamed of him, and if he kept on he would cause 
the whole tribe — men, women and children — to be 



37^ Remi7iisce7ices of an Old Timer. 

killed ; that if lie would go and wash off his paint I 
would shake hands, and we would have a talk, when 
if I found they were suffering a wrong, I would 
have it righted ; that I didn't fear any of them ; 
that he, as well as the rest, had agreed to mind 
me, and he should. He said, " Good ; nika pot- 
lum" (I am drunk). Then he, with the others 
who were painted, went out, washed off their 
paint and returned. I remained and talked with 
them for some hours, then left them in good 
humor. This Cus-cus was a c-u-s-s-" cus," and 
was subsequently killed by a white man whom 
he and one or two other drunken Indians attacked 
on the road. All of the tribe said he ought to 
have been killed, for he had become " hi-as cul- 
tus " (very bad) through drink. 

Later, while I was in the legislative council at 
Olympia, a disease broke out in Dayton which — 
after much wrangling and newspaper discussion 
among the doctors, and after hundreds of the 
citizens had exposed themselves to it while doing 
the "good Samaritan" act, was pronounced small- 
pox in a virulent form, from which — if my memory 
serves me — some twenty died, and three or four 
times as many suffered its loathsome attack. 
Incidentally I will say that the hitherto prosper- 
ous, beautiful and attractive little city was quaran- 
tined some forty days, which gave it a disastrous 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 377 

back set, from whicli it has not fully recovered to 
this day. 

Excuse me — I was writing of "my tribe." 
Some of the Palouses were encamped near Day- 
ton, and their squaws (clootch-men) were doing 
the washing for some of the families, whereby 
they contracted the disease. As soon as they 
were made aware of the nature of the infection 
they started for home, and having to pass my 
residence en route, made as wide a detour from 
the house as they could on the creek bottom. 
One old Indian rode up within hailing distance 
of the house, and calling to my wife, told her the 
Indians had the smallpox, and advised her not to 
allow any Indian to come near the house. 

After that, chief Big Thunder, although he 
had not been exposed to the disease, would come 
within a few hundred yards of the house, and 
make known to my wife by shouts and signs 
what little article he wanted ; which she would 
carry out away from the house, and leave; then 
he would come and get it. 

This old Indian (Big Thunder) died at his 
home in 1885, of consumption, from which disease 
all of his large family had preceded him to the 
happy hunting ground. Soon after his death a 
delegation of Palouses called on me and asked that 
I appoint a man to fill the "vacant chair;" or, 
more properly, to cover the space at his end of 



378 Reminiscences of an Old Tmier. 

the circle in council. I named Hoo-sis-mox-mox 
(sorrel top) as successor to the position left vacant 
by Big Thunder's demise. 

These Indians have, as a rule, entered lands 
in severalty ; have good teams, harness, wagons, 
plows and other agricultural implements; raise 
wheat, oats, barley, potatoes and other vegetables ; 
and for several years have proven themselves an 
industrious class. Up to the time of this writing 
they make it a point to visit me every few days, 
or as often as anything transpires in which they 
wish to understand the laws of the country 
(Boston Momock). Knowing as I do that they 
have full faith and confidence in me, I cannot 
help manifesting some interest in their welfare; 
and although all classes of Indians are treacher- 
ous from instinct, and especially so when intoxi- 
cated, I believe that in case of an Indian out- 
break in any portion of the Northwest I could go 
into their camps and make every mother's son of 
them who is capable of bearing arms accompany 
me, and work and fight to their utmost ability in 
defense of the whites, notwithstanding the 
former friendly relations existing between them 
and the hostiles. On the other hand, I know from 
the long and somewhat vivacious experience I 
have had with the numerous tribes, and a close 
study of their tactics, that in case the Palouses 
should from any cause conclude to avenge their 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 379 

imaginary wrongs against the wHites, I would be 
the first victim of their scalping knives. In such 
cases Indians always make it a point to first 
annihilate those of whom they entertain the 
most fear ; and these fellows are fully aware that 
I will do my best to bring them to justice for 
every misdemeanor. 



CHAPTER XXVI. 

Robinson "The Bilk" — Remarkable Specimens — Walla 
Wallaians on a "Wild-Goose Chase " — Bostonians Ditto 
— Cincinnatians Double Ditto — Was He a Fraud ? Don't 
Believe It— The Treasure Will Yet Be Found— Bewil- 
dered Men Can't Retrace Steps — Untold Millions Yet 
Uncovered — The Inland Fmpire Walled in with Ore — 
Resources of the Columbia Basin — What Develops the 
Mines — Twenty-five Years' Progress — Ten Years Hence 
— Transportation ; Wages ; Money — A Brief Resume of 
Our Mining Prospects — Moody's Story — Eleven Gold- 
laden Miners Drop Dead on a Thirty-mile March — A Pure 
Mantle — Short Burial Service — All For the Loved Ones 
at Home. 

I MUST relate a little incident — or story — of 
the palmy days of mining excitements, 
which many of the old settlers in the Walla 
Walla country will remember. 

Toward the latter end of those days one Rob- 
inson came to Walla Walla and exhibited speci- 
mens of some very rich quartz, which he said he 
had taken from a ledge or lode that he had dis- 
covered in the Coeur d'Alene mountains, about 

(380) 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer, 381 

two hundred miles northeast of Walla Walla. 
He said he would show the ledge for a nominal 
bonus if a company could be made up to work 
it. Soon a lot of old timers, lured by the remark^ 
able richness of the specimens and the gorgeous 
descriptions of the lode given by Robinson, 
made up a company, paid him a good bonus, 
fitted Robinson and themselves out in good 
shape, and with him went on a " wild-goose 
chase " three or four hundred miles up into the 
mountains, and followed him around till they 
became satisfied that he was bilking them, when 
they commenced talking, " hang him." The 
talk became so loud, that, he took occasion one 
fine morning to skip, leaving them to pilot them- 
selves home — sadder but wiser men. 

The next heard of Robinson he was in Boston, 
Mass., where he again placed his specimens on 
exhibition, and soon raised a large company 
which advanced him a good bonus and paid his 
way to Walla Walla. Bach was bound under 
oath to keep silent as to their mission and pur- 
poses. Here they bought a complete outfit for 
exploring and developing mines, and made their 
way to the Coeur d'Alenes, where a repetition of 
the experience of the Walla Walla party awaited 
them. 

Next Robinson turned up at Cincinnati, Ohio, 
where he worked the same maneuvers that he 



382 Reminiscerices of an Old Timer. 

had in Boston. A large party was formed, a 
bonus put up, and the location of the mine 
remained unknown. Robinson again left them 
and this was the last heard of him. 

He was loudly denounced as being a fraud 
but since the remarkable discoveries in the Coeui 
d'Alenes I am inclined to the belief that Robin- 
son was acting in good faith ; that he had found 
a very rich vein of ore near where the rich veins 
have been discovered during the past three years 
(for that is the district he led the parties to) ; 
that if either of the parties had been more 
patient, and not so quick to talk "bilk" and 
"hang," the rich mining-district of Coeur d'Alene 
would have been developed years ago. 

I hardly think that Robinson's rich find has 
yet been re-discovered, for new lodes are being dis- 
covered all the time, and some are very rich. 
Many instances are known of rich mines having 
been discovered in the mountains by parties who 
became bewildered after leaving them, and who 
subsequently searched for months before they 
found them again, and in many instances they 
never have found them. 

That the mountains of Oregon, Washington, 
Idaho and Montana are rich in ores and placers, 
has been already demonstrated ; and it is believed, 
by those best informed and most capable to judge 
of such matters, that discoveries have only begun, 



Reminiscences of an Old Tinier. 383 

and tlie lodes already found have not been pros- 
pected sufficiently to give an idea of their rich- 
ness. 

But now that railroads are piercing these 
mountains, and machinery can be brought in, 
development will proceed much more rapidly, 
and in a year or two we will astonish the mining 
world, for we have all the timber, coal, water and 
other facilities for working them cheaply. 

It has already been proven that richly paying 
gold and silver lodes exist in the mountains near 
the Colville river, in Northeastern Washington ; 
ore is already being shipped from there by wagon 
80 miles to Spokane, thence by rail 2,000 miles, 
at great expense, to refining or reduction works, 
and even then it pays well to work it. Capital and 
machinery will cause hundreds of lodes to be 
worked there, where now there are but two or 
three. 

The Okanagon district, near the British line, 
between the Columbia river and the Cascade 
mountains, embraces a large scope of country, that 
has as yet been prospected but very little, yet a 
large number of rich lodes have been discovered 
there. West and southwest from there the Cas- 
cade range is proven to abound in rich ores, both 
gold, silver, copper and iron ; coal and granite are 
also found there in large quantities, and several 
placer mines have been worked for years. 



384 Reminiscences of a7i Old Timer, 

The Coeur d'Alene mountains have proven to be 
rich in ores, placers, mica, marble, etc., all over, 
only a few areas as yet being worked, owing to the 
lack of transportation facilities. 

The Blue mountains have also proven to be 
streaked with ledges for hundreds of miles which 
will be developed during the next decade, or as 
soon as moneyed men can get freights at living 
rates and miners' wages come below $3.50 per 
day. 

The energetic railroad construction now going 
on, with the hundreds of feeders contemplated, 
warrant me in the prediction that, within five 
years, our freight rates will be reduced at least 
fifty per cent. While it cost $155 per ton to ship 
a small quartz mill into the Blue mountains from 
Portland twelve years ago, the same would now 
cost but about $20 per ton. 

The same may be said of what are called the 
Salmon River mountains, between Snake river 
and Clearwater, the connecting link between the 
Blue and the Coeur d'Alene mountains, wherein 
were made the marvelous discoveries of placer 
mines in the years 1861-2 and 3. Hundreds of 
good pa3dng ore veins and placer diggings have 
been discovered there that will be developed soon, 
for there are two railroads already headed toward 
them. 



Remi7tisce7ices of an Old Timer. 3S5 

Thousands of acres of placer grounds that will 
pay from $3 to $6 per day to the man, lie there 
unmolested because of the cost of living, and the 
freight rate on the necessary tools, machinery, etc. 
The best of the ground was worked when wages 
was from $6 to $15 per day, when flour was worth 
from 25 cents to $1 a pound ; a pair of gum boots 
were worth $50, and everything else in proportion. 
And at those rates several men lost their lives or 
were badly frozen, while coming out on foot late 
in the fall, carrying their blankets and 20 to 
100 pounds of " Salmon River dust " (a by- word 
originated on account of the dust being poor) 
to the man, the result of a season's work. 

From the south fork of the John Day river to 
the Snake river, a distance of about 250 miles, 
along the Blue mountain range, placers were 
worked out and abandoned under much the same 
circumstances. Though not at so much cost, 
and yielding less, but they had to be abandoned 
when the owners couldn't realize $5 per day to 
the hands. For everything had to be done by 
hand as it takes capital to build ditches, flumes, 
penstocks, hydraulic pipes, etc., when freights 
rate at $200 per ton from the foundry to the 
mine. 

All along the Columbia river and Snake river 
Chinamen are working the bars with the primi- 
tive shovel, pan and rocker, and making from 

25 



386 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

seventy-five cents to $4 per day to the liand ; 
and with proper machinery these bars could be 
made to pay handsomely. 

Remember I am only hinting at the mining 
resources of the great Columbia basin (The 
Inland Empire) that must of necessity paj^ trib- 
ute to the farmer, the stock-raiser, and the fruit- 
raiser, who is wise enough to locate in this 
productive and healthy country. Why, the 
peach-growers along Snake river, so renowned 
for producing the finest quality of that most 
delicious fruit, have to watch their orchards to 
keep the Chinamen from working the ground for 
gold. 

I make these digressions not as a scientist, 
mining expert, or speculator in mining ground, 
or " feet," but, having adopted this portion of the 
United States for my final home (no reference 
to things spiritual) and knowing whereof I speak, 
and believing that I may benefit some of my 
readers by writing a few hints of the advantages 
this country offers to those who wish to change 
their location, I just put them in for a change; 
for it would require an abler party than I and a 
much larger book than this, to impart any ade- 
quate idea of our mining prospects. 

Having incidentally mentioned the fact of some 
of the first miners at Florence having frozen to 
death, while attempting to reach their homes in 



Rerninisce7ices of an Old Timer. 387 

the Willamette valley, during what has ever 
since been mentioned as "the hard winter" ('61 
and '62), and having since conversed with a sur- 
vivor of one of the parties, I deem it proper to 
write a brief sketch of Moody's story, as told to 
me: 

" My name is W. A. Moody; I was bom in Ill- 
inois on the 6th day of July, 1831. Am a car- 
penter and joiner by trade, and have raised a 
large family. Crossed the plains to Oregon in 
'52 ; arriving late, I passed that winter at The 
Dalles ; engaged in building steamboats at Celilo 
in '53 ; and moved my family to Portland in '54 ; 
in '55 I removed to Corvallis ; thence to Browns- 
ville in '56 ; thence to Bugene City ; where I 
resided ten years, 

" Hearing of the remarkable gold discoveries on 
Salmon river in '61, I determined to try my for- 
tune in those mines, and started for Florence 
rather late in the season. Failing to reach 
Florence, I stopped at Walla Walla and built the 
first flour mill there for H. P. Isaacs. On the 
3rd day of January, 1862, the Columbia river 
being frozen over, I started in company with ten 
miners, who came just down from Salmon river 
and were on their way to their homes in the 
Willamette valley, carrying from twenty to eighty 
pounds of gold dust each. The stage company 
had agreed to put us through to The Dalles in two 



388 Reminiscences of an Old Ti7ner. 

days, but we were five days in reaching the John 
Days river, forty-five miles from The Dalles. 
Here we found nine other miners awaiting an 
opportunity to cross, as the river was so full of 
ice that the ferry-boat couldn't be run. The 
snow was three and a half feet deep, on a level 
all around us. Here we lay for five days, having 
only nineteen pounds of flour and a beef hide 
for the whole twenty of us to subsist on. On the 
sixth day eleven of us, including Wells, Fargo 
& Co.'s Express messenger, crossed John Days 
river, in a swing we had constructed and attached 
to the ferry rope, or cable. Having succeeded in 
getting over the river, we found it would be im- 
possible to proceed through the deep snow, carry- 
ing all the money we had along with us. So 
Jack James (Wells, Fargo's man) concluded to 
stop there with another man in a tent, and the 
most of us left the bulk of our dust with them. 
" Being joined by the ferry-man (Pat Davis) , we 
eleven men started at sunrise, on the 13th day of 
January, to make the journey of forty-five miles 
on foot, without snow shoes; and while the 
thermometer ranged from 40 to 50 degrees below 
zero. Marion Olphin acted as guide, but the 
snow was so deep that we had to break the trail 
"turn about." Olphin being short in stature 
could not break trails at all ; and found it so diffi- 
cult and laborious to keep stride with the rest of 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 389 

the party that lie gave out about eight o'clock 
that night. One Doc Gay and myself, being old 
friends of Olphin, we assisted him along, till he 
froze to death. His last words being, ' I could die 
more contentedly if I only knew that my wife, 
on Willow creek, had a sack of flour.' 

" The ten men remaining formed a circle and, 
having scraped the snow awa}'', we wrapped him 
in my overcoat and laid his remains there on the 
bare ground, covered them with snow and left 
him in his snowy sepulchre, alone on the hill, 
six miles from where we had started eighteen 
hours before. Slowly and sadly we worked our 
way along, for about a mile, when we discovered 
that Pat Davis, the ferry-man was freezing. We 
assisted him along, as we had Olphin, for about 
half an hour when he died, and the remaining 
nine buried him as we had Olphin. Then moved 
on, being now without a guide, for two or three 
hours, when Wm. Riddle fell dead and was buried 
by the remaining eight, as the others had been. 
Soon after this we became bewildered and lost, 
but continued to move along till McDonald ex- 
pired ; and was buried by the seven of us left 
alive. About ten o'clock the next day, a New 
York man, whose name I have forgotten, was 
buried by the remaining six who as yet retained 
their right minds. Next we left one Duffy, who 
lagged behind and fell ; but the other five dared 



390 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

not return to bury him. The next to fall was 
one Jagger, a son-in-law of R. R. Thompson, of 
Portland. He was left unburied by the remain- 
ing four, about eight miles from the Deschutes 
river, 23 miles from The Dalles, on our second 
night out. Next we left Johnson Mulkey of Ben- 
ton county, Oregon, about four miles from the 
Deschutes. He was not yet dead as we moved 
away from him. 

" On the morning of the third day, we left 
another man dead. Doc Gay and myself came in 
sight of the house at the Deschutes ferry, which 
we reached about eleven o'clock, and sent a man 
back with a mule. He found Mulkey alive, but 
completely exhausted and sitting on his blanket. 
He brought him in, but the large amount of gold 
dust, which he carried in a belt around his waist, 
had so chilled and irritated that portion of his 
body that mortification set in, and he died two 
days afterward. When we arrived at Deschutes, 
we found Doctors McAteeney and Shields there, 
who amputated my badly frozen feet at the in- 
step, and gave me such attention as it was possi- 
ble for them to do. We laid there five days 
when we were hauled to The Dalles in sleighs 
belonging to the O. S. N. Co. (now the O. R. & 
N. Co.) Jagger's body was brought in on a board 
drawn by a mule. It was frozen stiff and was 
taken to Portland for interment. James, the 



Reminzscences of an Old Timer. 391 

express man, came in with the gold dust all right 
and it was turned over to the relatives of the 
deceased. 

" When we arrived at The Dalles Dr. Den- 
nison, a friend and brother Mason of Gay, gave 
up his office to his brother and his best friend, 
and performed many acts of kindness which, I 
believe, was the main reason that both of our 
lives were saved; for we suffered terribly for 
weeks. I was afterward presented with a fine 
new overcoat by Olphin's brother, to replace the 
one I had used for a winding-sheet when we 
placed his dead brother in his grave of snow." 



CHAPTER XXVII. 

Dabbling in Politics — As Candidate for the Delegateship — 
Au Eloquent Opposition — An Orderly Chairman — "1 
Spoke a Little Piece " — Elected by Acclamation ; "But- 
ton-holed ' ' — Bracing Up a " Shaky ' ' Aspirant — ' ' Didn't 
I Make a Good Play? " — My Reward and Their Reasons 
for Granting It — Our Consolation — Republicans Too 
Plenty— A Joke That Was Reversed— The "Fighting 
Editor ' ' Was In— The Broken Cane ; ' ' Laying For Him ' ' 
— As a Second in a Duel — An Appropriate Dueling- 
Ground — The Fight Declared Off— He Stopped Carrying 
a Cane. 

I BOUGHT the warehouses and conducted 
the business myself for some years. While 
occupied in this business I took part in several 
elections. 

At one time I received a letter from an old 
friend, a Democrat (with which party I had been 
doing my voting) , asking me to accept the nomi- 
nation to represent the Democrats of Columbia 
county in their territorial convention soon to 
assemble at Vancouver, and give him my sup- 
port for his nomination for Delegate to Congress. 

^392) 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 393 

In accordance with this friend's request, I 
attended the county convention. My name was 
submitted, when a violent Secession Democrat 
rose to his feet, and in an eloquent speech said, 
among other things : "Mr. Chairman! George 
Washington was a Democrat, and that's the kind 
of a Democrat I am" (slapping himself on the 
breast) . After detonating about that Democrat 
Washington awhile, he said, " Thomas Jefferson 
was a Democrat, and that's the kind of a Demo- 
crat I am " (again clapping his hand on to 
his Democratic breast). He then mentioned 
others, and finally Jeff Davis, " But I am no such 
a Democrat as is this man Hunter — one day 
with the Democrats and the next lending his aid 
to the Republicans " (meaning that I was and had 
been a strong Union man) . After a lengthy and 
eloquent effort he took his seat, when I arose, 
only to be rapped down by the chair (the chair- 
man had been a major in the Confederate army 
during the rebellion, and it was thought they 
had put up a job to sit down on me). At the 
sound of the gavel down I went, but up again as 
quickly. " Bang " came the gavel, and down 
came I again. This pantomime was repeated 
several times, and finally I asked : " Mr. Chair- 
man, why do you pound that table so ? It cer- 
tainly has not harmed you." He replied, " I don't 
want any disturbance in this meeting." I said : 



394 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

"I certainly have not done or said any thing that 
would have a tendency to disturb the peace and 
harmony of this meeting, as I had not said a 
word when you sounded the gavel. My stand- 
ing in the party has been violently assailed by 
the gentleman, and I demand an opportunity to 
defend it ; and if the chair will not allow me 
sufficient time to do so, I shall appeal to the 
house." 

Then a cry went up " Go on. Hunter, go 
on!" "Yes, boys," said I, "it's always go on 
and never go back with me." 

Then addressing the chairman and the gentle- 
men present, I said, " The gentleman has told 
you that George Washington was a Democrat, 
and that was the kind of a Democrat he was. 
Well, I was glad to hear that the father of his 
country was a Democrat ; but, as I never had any 
personal acquaintance with that great man, I am 
not prepared to vouch for the assertion. But I 
imagine I can almost see the hero as he strove to 
rally his disheartened militia, at Brandywine ; as 
he stood in his boat w^hile crossing the frozen 
Delaware, leading his weary, bleeding-footed 
soldiers to Valley Forge, with Burgoyne, sur- 
rounded by such men as Green, Lee, Lafayette, 
Tom Paine, and Benedict Arnold ; can see him 
as he finally lay on his death-bed, and can hear 
him whisper to those near him to catch the dying 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 395 

words of the man that was first in war, first in 
peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen : 
'Guard well the Constitution; remember the 
Declaration of the Independence of the United 
States, as it was signed by the fifty-six heroes of 
the thirteen colonies ; and last, but not least, guard 
well the emblem of the free, and never allow it to 
be lowered, unless with honor to your homes and 
your country.' 

" The gentleman says, that Jefferson Davis was 
a Democrat, and that's the kind of a Democrat 
he is. Well, the first, Washington, fought seven 
long years to establish the independence of these 
United States; the other, for four long years, 
strove to destroy the principles inculcated by 
Washington, at a cost of thousands of lives 
and millions of money. While J believe that the 
South suffered many hardships and was unjustly 
treated, I don't believe Jefferson Davis was war- 
ranted in striving to destroy the best government 
that the sun ever shone upon. And as I have 
been twitted of having used a musket to keep the 
old flag from being disgracefully lowered, I will 
say, that if my old father of seventy years should 
so far forget his Democratic teachings as to 
attempt to tear it down, and trail it in the dust 
at my feet, I fear that I might forget which one 
of the Democratic boys I was, and bend my 
musket over his head. 



39^ Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

" If these are not Democratic sentiments, there 
is not a drop coursing througli my veins." 

I took my seat and was chosen delegate by 
acclamation, thereby proving that Washington 
(Davis !) and your humble servant were all Demo- 
crats. 

I took five or six proxies from my own and 
adjacent counties, which caused the office-seekers 
to recognize my importance. 

On my arrival at Vancouver, I underwent the 
usual amount of " button-holing," and the con- 
vention was organized. Two prominent lawyers 
from the Sound counties (counties along and 
near Puget Sound, west of the Cascade range of 
mountains) aspired to the delegateship, and my 
friend became "shaky," and requested me not to 
place his name before the convention to have 
him " slaughtered," for we both well knew that 
unless we secured some support from the west- 
ern counties, he could not be nominated. 

I told him I didn't think all was yet lost. 
When a short recess was taken for dinner, I 
went into a house where the "pure democracy " 
was dispensed, I met one of the Sound candi- 
dates, took him to one side, and held a short 
conversation with him. I saw that the other 
candidate from the Sound was watching us 
closely, whereupon I shook the hand of the one 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 597 

I was talking with, went up and "took some- 
thing," and started for the hotel. 

Shortly I was joined by the other candidate, 
and asked what the first was talking to me about. 
I told him, " business matters." He said : 
" That scrub sha'n't steal a march on me. Now, 
Hunter, you want Caton nominated, and it will 
come better for some one from west of the mount- 
ains to put his name before the convention, than 
for one from your own side to do so ; and, if you 
will allow me, I will propose his name and you 

can second it, and we will down W ." I assured 

him that if he would do so he would confer a great 
favor on both Caton and myself, and I would 
gladly reciprocate, at any time, when called upon. 

This being settled, I soon joined my friend 
Caton, and we went to dinner, when I told him 
what I had done, and for him to be ready to 
" spread himself" on receiving the nomination. 
He was skeptical. But when the meeting was 
again called to order, the Sound candidate arose 
and " moved " that the rules be suspended, and 
that the Honorable N. T. Caton, of Walla Walla, 
be declared the unanimous choice of the conven- 
tion for Delegate to Congress. It is needless to 
say that I seconded the motion in due time. The 
motion prevailed. 

Soon I could see some very dark looks among 
the Sound members. 



398 Re7ni7iisce7ices of an Old Timer. 

I was nominated for Brigadier-General of tlie 
Militia (as a reward). I suppose they wanted 
me elected to this position as there was not a 
cent in it ; and they were in hopes we would soon 
have a war, and they would have the satisfaction 
of getting one killed. 

That evening, after the convention had ad- 
journed, my friend Caton and myself stepped in 
to the side door of a billiard room, in which 
nearly all the members were congratulating each 
other on the results of the day when the Sound 

candidate W said to the other S C 

"You have raised the devil. You have let that 
bunch-grass granger come down here and run 
the whole caboodle of us." As none of them had 
noticed Caton and myself, up to this time, I 
stepped forward and asked all hands to take a — 
(smoke). None had time to refuse; and as the 
joke was too good, they all acquiesced in the 
opinion that I would make a royal " Gigadier 
Brindler " for the Territory of Washington (and 
I would if there had not been so many Republi- 
can votes polled at the ensuing election) . 

My friend Caton and myself had the pleasure 
of knowing, after the election, that we were very 
badly beaten. But we consoled ourselves with 
the idea that the Republicans had made as great 
a mistake in electing their candidates as did our 
convention in making their nominations. 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 399 

For, whereas, we had been inflicted on the 
"dear people" only during a two months' cam- 
paign, the Republican nominees would hang on 
two years longer. And meantime we could ad- 
vocate " reform," and urge the grangers and 
" sand-loters," to exercise better judgment in 
the future in casting their votes, and confirming 
party nomination, especially the Republicans. 

On the evening of election day we were all 
aware that our county ticket was badly beaten. 
The editor of the Democratic county paper who 
had been on the ticket for the school superinten- 
dency, took the bits in his teeth, rushed to his 
sanctum sanctoriun and "set up " a flaming Salt 
river editorial, " To get ahead of the Republican 
paper," he said. I happened in, and looking 
over his " proof," I saw a lawyer, Baker by name, 
mentioned in association with those of the can- 
didates who were defeated ; and as I knew the 
"Judge" had not been a candidate, I supposed 
it to have been a typographical error, and so in- 
formed Mr. Abbott, the editor. "But," said 
Abbott, " there is the fun in it. When Baker 
sees that, he will kick like a mule, and after we 
have had our fun out of him I will change it in 
the galley ! " 

Slipping the proof in my pocket I went out 
as soon as I could, and around to Baker's office, 
and said to him as I pointed to that sentence, 



40O Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

" See, what that old villain has said about you." 
The "Judge" read it clear through, laughing 
heartily all the while. When he had finished, I 
asked, " Why don't you get mad ? " " At what," 
he asked. I said, " Your name is mentioned in 
that article, and you are not a candidate. "Oh!" 
said he, "That's all right, I enjoy being in with 
the boys." Then I told him for what purpose 
Abbott had put his name in with the others, and 
asked him if he wasn't a pretty good actor. "Bet 
your life," said he. 

Then we put up a job on Mr. Abbott, I was to 
have a number of men in the ofS.ce, to enjoy the 
fun when Baker would come in as mad as a wet 
hen, and demand that his name be taken out of 
that article forthwith. " But," said Baker, " You 
fellows must keep an eye on the old fellow, for 
he might try to hurt me, he's not to be fooled 
with too much." We assured the "Judge " that 
we would look out for that, and would "gobble" 
Abbott if our prank worked. 

In a few minutes we had a large number of 
gentlemen present in the ofi6.ce on one pretext or 
another, when in came the "Judge" in an 
apparent frenzy of passion, with the paper in his 
hand, and, pointing to the piece, said : "Abbott, 
who authorized you to use my name in that 
manner?" Abbott attempted to explain, but 
Baker could out-talk him, and finally he went 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 401 

back into his hip pocket for his supposed pistol, 
exclaimed in apparent passion, " Take it out, and 
quickly at that." 

Abbott saw the move, turned white, jerked open 
a drawer and grabbed for a pistol, but quick as 
his move was, there were some quicker, for four 
or five of us grabbed him and whirled him around 
and around the room, while every one present 
was laughing as loud as they could. 

Abbott soon tumbled to the joke and said, 
" Good, boys come and ' smile; ' I have been an 
editor nearly all my life, but this is the most 
damnable prank I ever had played on me." Thus 
ended my " military career " for that time. 

About this time another laughable circum- 
stance occurred, the sequel to what came near 
proving a very serious affair. The major, whom 
I mentioned as being chairman of the county 
convention, and an ex-rebel surgeon, known as 
Doctor Henrahan, got into a dispute, wlien the 
doctor broke his cane over the major's head. 

The next day the major was sitting by his 
door with his rifle awaiting the coming along 
of the doctor. He said he would shoot him. 
Some of the doctor's friends knowing of the 
fact, told the doctor, and he sent for me and two 
others of his friends. After talking the matter 
over the doctor admitted that they were both 
under the influence of liquor at the time of the 

26 



402 Remi7iiscences of an Old Timer. 

striking, and said lie was willing to make repar- 
ation to the major; tliat we could see the major 
and arrange a meeting between them, either 
friendly or otherwise, as occasion required. He 
said he would leave the matter entirely in my 
hands to arrange for a fight or an apology as I 
thought best. 

We then went to the major and told him he 
should not shoot the doctor down while the doc- 
tor was unarmed, but we would arrange a meet- 
ing, and if he chose a friend, I, with the doctor, 
would meet him and his friend, and if we could 
not satisfy him with apologies, we would fight it 
out. This proposition was accepted. He named 
his friend, and the friend and I selected an 
undertaker's shop as the place of meeting. The 
principals were to come unarmed, but the friends 
should bring revolvers along, and when they 
failed to settle the matter with words, they could 
resort to a harsher method. They were both brave 
men, and had fought their men in former days. 

Bringing them together, we seated each upon 
a coffin, and gave the doctor the first opportunity 
to speak. He said : "Major, I have none but 
the kindliest feelings toward you. It was not me 
that did what was done last evening, it was 
whisky. I hope you will forgive me, and I will 
make good any damages which you have sus- 
tained at my hands." Williams said : " Doctor, 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer, 403 

I accept your apology on one consideration : 
You must bring and give to me the pieces of the 
cane you broke over my head, and give me your 
word of honor that you will not carry a cane for 
a year." 

I knew that the doctor would not do this, so I 
said : " No, major ; no brave man would do that. 
But the doctor will give you his word that he 
will not carry a cane, for when he is drinking 
he is too apt to use it. As a friend I should not 
like to see the doctor play the little-boy act, by 
carrying these broken pieces of that cane to you. 
The doctor has made all the amends that I think 
an honorable man should make under the cir- 
cumstances." 

After thinking awhile the major said he 
wouldn't shoot the doctor ; but his head was too 
sore to forgive him at the time. He would let the 
matter drop. And so ended an unpleasantness, 
which would undoubtedly have culminated in the 
death of one or both of the parties, had it not 
been for the interference of friends, who are said 
to have selected a very appropriate place for the 
meeting — and it certainly was a grim looking 
place, with its emblems of death hanging over 
them and piled all around them, to settle a mat- 
ter of this kind. N. B. — The doctor stopped car- 
rying a cane. 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 

The Bannack Indian War of 1878 — A Picnic Gotten Up by 
Uncle Sam's Pets — Playing With the Lambs — A Spread 
of Pork and Cheese — Un feathering the Nests — The 
Lunching Party Entertained — Two Days in the Brush 
With a Broken Leg— A Flirtation With the Troops- 
Careless About Leaving Their Address — Killing Team- 
sters — A Gunboat — George Coggan ; Had Killed an 
Indian — "I Give it Up" — Pope Paraphrased — The Battle 
of Umatilla— "My Tribe" Stay With Me — They 
' ' Evaporated ' ' — Mow- itch and Couse — Clubs for Soldiers, 
But Cannon for Cow-boys — The Result. 

THE Snake or Baunack War of 1878 I did not 
take a part in, my attention being wholly 
occupied at that season of the year in forwarding, 
and for other reasons to be shown hereafter. But, 
as I am familiar with many of the incidents of 
that war, I will give a short sketch of them and 
as I remember having read or heard them. 

It appears that this outbreak occurred on or 
near the Malheur reservation ; those concerned 
in it were mostly Snake or Bannack Indians 
(including the renegade bands from which we 

(404) 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 405 

sixteen miners rescued the beleaguered Rexford 
families, as told in a previous chapter) . 

The real cause assigned for the outbreak I am 
not able to state. The first I learned of it was 
the news of the killing of some settlers near 
Malheur in Northeastern Oregon, and the 
destruction of property. General Howard took 
the field at once, the Indians retreating westerly 
across the headwaters of Burnt river and the 
Blue mountains ; thence northerly across the 
headwaters of the John Days. At the north fork 
of the John Days river they came upon the first 
of the numerous flocks of sheep which were 
being herded on the high hills and mountains 
during the summer season, killed the herders and 
mutilated the sheep by cutting off their legs and 
otherwise maiming them, leaving them to die. 

Several others of the first flocks they came to 
were treated similarly, until they found the 
sheep too numerous, and the sport became too 
tame, to satisfy the pampered tastes of the "cul- 
tured" red man who had emerged from a hard 
winter fattened on U. S. grub on a healthy reser- 
vation. 

Being closely pressed by the troops, the Indians 
continued northward to Camas prairie (a beautiful 
valley or basin on the western slope of the Blue 
mountains near the head of the north fork of 
John Days river), which had been settled years 



4o6 Re7ni7iiscences of an Old Timer. 

before by stock-raisers and dairy-men. These 
having received warning of the approach of the 
hostiles, had hastily removed their families to 
places of safety, leaving only a few herders 
secreted around to look after the stock as much 
as they could. 

At a cheese ranch on this prairie there were a 
hundred or more cheese in an outbuilding, and 
quite a number of hogs in a pen, that the owner 
had not time to turn out. These frisky Snakes 
coming up, investigated, killed nearly all the 
hogs, and put cheese under their heads for 
pillows, thereby furnishing evidence that their 
favorite food was not pork and cheese, or else were 
preparing a repast for Uncle Sam's troops who 
were following them, or probably the Indians' way 
of telling the troops to " cheese it." 

hs they moved on through the valley they 
played many of their clever (?) pranks, such as 
scattering beans, rice and other provisions, which 
they had no use for, here and there ; ripping 
open the feather beds and pillows, scattering the 
down to the four winds of the earth (they left 
other "downs" to mark their course and progress, 
for the soldiers following them), taking horses, 
killing cattle, scattering sheep, killing herders, 
and similar " innocent pastime." 

They had killed several men, and pillaged 
many houses, burned very few, when, coming to 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 407 

the foot of the western slope of the mountains, 
their advance came on to a company of forty or 
fifty stockmen and others who had gathered 
near Pendleton, on hearing that the Indians 
might come that way, and were going out to pro- 
ect their flocks. 

This company had stopped to lunch at Willow 
springs, in a gulch ; picketed or tied the most of 
their horses near some sheds, and, without plac- 
ing out a guard, were unsuspectingly sitting 
around a corral eating and resting, when the hos- 
tiles came up on the hills surrounding them, 
and poured a lively fire into them (without first 
having notified them, officially, that they pro- 
posed passing that way that day) . Several of the 
whites were killed, or wounded, before they could 
get to cover in the sheds, where they were closely 
beleaguered till dark, when a courier got out, and 
started for help ; and later, the rest of the com- 
pany came out, bringing their dead and wounded. 
This is another circumstance which tends to prove 
that the bravest of men should have with them, 
and need the advice of, some one who knows by 
experience what might happen in case of negli- 
gence, especially in Indian warfare. 

The next morning, one Charles Jewel, a prom- 
inent stockman of that section, who had also 
heard of impending danger to his herds of sheep 
in the mountains, and had started up Butter 



4o8 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

creek alone, carrying a lot of guns and ammuni- 
tion to herders, stopped at tHe house of a friend 
for breakfast. After breakfast he went out to 
the stable to resaddle his horses, and his friend 
went into the garden, when the Indians suddenly 
fired on them, killing Nelson (the rancher) and 
wounding Jewel mortally. Supposing they had 
done their work well, they took the horses and 
guns, and skipped. Jewel crawled off to the creek 
and laid in the brush two or three days without 
food — having crawled to the roadside in the 
meantime and posted a notice of his condition 
and whereabouts. A party of settlers finally 
came along, and seeing the notice, found Jewel, 
and took him to Pendleton, where he died within 
a day or two. 

The news of the Willow springs fight spread 
rapidly, and a detachment of soldiers, who were 
en route to Malheur, were turned off in that 
direction. They met the hostiles and a lively 
skirmish took place between them near Willow 
springs. But the Indians could out-travel the 
troops over those rough mountains and canyons, 
so gaining time to form ambuscades for the espe- 
cial benefit of one and all who followed. After 
they had given two or three of these free enter- 
tainments, they skedaddled, for fresh pastures, 
leaving the soldiers to bury their dead, and in 
their haste neglected to leave their addresses for 



Reminiscences of mi Old Timer, 409 

the guidance of those of an inquiring mind, that 
wished to know where to expect the next bullet 
(in) bored. 

A few renegades from the Ki-use and Umatilla 
tribes on the Umatilla reservation had joined 
Chief Bagan's band of hostiles at the first out- 
break, and when the advance-guard of the hostiles 
got so badly split up by the steamboat " North- 
west," which General Howard had called into 
service as a gunboat and blockade-runner on the 
Columbia and Snake rivers, Hagan changed his 
course, and went to the Umatilla agency. 

About this time some of the marauding 
squads came on to the main thoroughfare over 
the Blue mountains, killed some teamsters in 
the mountains and burned the stage-station at 
the foot of the mountains ; then killed George 
Coggan, who married a sister of my first wife 
(Miss Laura Stout) about 1853. Coggan was of 
English birth. He had not more than a hun- 
dred dollars' worth of property when he married, 
but he soon proved to be a keen trader and, as 
western men have it, a "rustler," made money 
fast, and what was better — kept it. 

When the mines were discovered in eastern 
Oregon and Idaho, he came east of the Cascades, 
bought up some horse-teams at The Dalles and 
in Walla Walla, and engaged in freighting 
between Wallula and Walla Walla the first year, 



4IO Reminiscences of an Old Timer, 

and afterward between Umatilla and Boise. 
While camped near Umatilla on one occasion, the 
Indians ran off some of his horses. Coggan fol- 
lowed, overtook them and killed one of the thiev- 
ing red brethren. [The particulars I have 
forgotten, as they were told to me about the time 
of the occurrence, but it was freely talked of, 
and the Indians were very angry about it.] 
George sold his teams and returned to the Wil- 
lamette valley, where he wintered with his 
family. 

The next spring he returned east of the 
mountains, bought up some ox-teams, and com- 
menced freighting from Umatilla to the Boise 
basin, and continued in this business for several 
years. In the meantime he removed his family 
to the Weizer river, near Boise, where he had 
established a ferry. The family resided there 
till he sold his ferry and bought a stage-line 
that ran between Kalama and Olympia. Later 
he sold this and returned east of the mountains, 
where he again engaged in staging in the Burnt 
River country, and in stock-raising. Having 
some domestic trouble, he separated from his 
wife, went to Portland, where he became proprie- 
tor of the St. Charles Hotel. Here he married 
an English woman. 

In 1878, when the Snakes and Umatillas went 
on the war-path, Coggan came east of the Cas- 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 411 

cades to Grand Ronde valley, where lie kept his 
stock (he had some very fine stock — owned the 
celebrated running horse " Osceola," when he 
was the fastest horse in the Northwest), return- 
ing across the Blue mountains in company with 
Alf. Bunker, and one or two others. They were 
attacked by Indians, on the Umatilla reserve. 
Coggan was killed and Bunker severely wounded. 
Thus another relative was waylaid, and killed 
by the Government pets, after amassing a for- 
tune of over $100,000 through his own exertions 
in the distant West. After toiling for years over 
rough mountains and alkali plains, through 
mud, rain and snow, over coming every natural 
obstacle and amassing a fortune, he is ruthlessly 
shot down. After the Indians had shot him they 
piled grass up on his breast and set it on fire, 
this was probably done while he was dying. 
Coggan left his English wife a widow in Port- 
land, and his daughter (only child) , with his first 
wife, who had remarried, and resided in eastern 
Oregon. 

Another " rustler " passed over to the majority. 
His monument stands in Grand Ronde valley, 
marking the last resting-place of an energetic 
pioneer cut down in the noon-tide of his success, 
away from his home and those that he loved ; by 
the hands of — well, I give it up. Can't do the 
subject justice. I'll leave it, hoping that the 



412 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

great men of State will hear tlie cry of tHe wid- 
ows and orphans of the western pioneers ; and 
grant them a small portion of the annuities and 
reservations that are so lavishly bestowed upon 
the murderers of their husbands and fathers, and 
learn to quote, 

" Lo ! the poor widows and orphans left homeless behind — 
By reservation pets — they in Congress not a friend can find." 

A day or two after Coggan was killed, the 
troops met the Indians just above the Umatilla 
agency, dislodged them from the brush, and drove 
them before them on open ground, for nearly a 
whole day, to the foot of the Blue mountains 
when the Indians, tired of the amusement, 
climbed the mountain for a quiet camp. The 
losses were small. 

As before stated, I remained at my warehouses 
through this last affair, as I was agent for the 
O. S. N. Co., and many thousand dollars' worth 
of merchandise belonging to merchants of Day- 
ton, Waitsburg, Pomeroy, and other points, was 
stored in my warehouse awaiting transportation. 
Hearing of the movements of the Indians, it was 
generally believed they would try to cross Snake 
river, and effect a junction with IMoses' tribes of 
discontented Indians, to the northward, and that 
they would attempt to cross at my place, at the 
mouth of Tukanon, that being the crossing of the 
old Indian trails from Umatilla to the Spokane 



Reminiscences of mt Old Timer. 413 

country. This belief was so strong that the 
owners of tlie goods sent me word to bring my 
family away and let the freight take care of 
itself. But as I had my wife and an eleven-year- 
old son besides my tribe (the Palouses) and two 
cases of needle guns, with plenty of cartridges, I 
concluded to stay with my warehouses at all 
hazards. 

Big Thunder and others of the Palouse Indians 
came over and assured me that they would stay 
with me and help protect my family, in case the 
hostiles should attack me. Quite a number of 
the Palouses came and camped near me during 
the time the hostiles were west of the Blue 
mountains. Big Thunder kept a large canoe 
at my place the most of the time. Having told 
me that if the Bannacks came, he could take my 
family in his " ca-nim " (canoe), run the rapids 
below, to the mouth of the Palouse, and hide 
them in the rocky caverns, where we could whip 
all that dared attack us. 

But General Howard was making it too hot for 
the hostiles, and finally drove them from place to 
place till they — like Smelcer's cow, "evaporated." 
A census of the reservations showed many more 
lean and lank " wards " than could be found dur- 
ing the " picnic." 

x\nd as all could show (?) that they had 
been out hunting the sportive deer (mow-itch), 



414 Reminiscences of an Old Tivter. 

digging camas, couse, etc., and liad met with 
poor success, they were furnished with a new 
supply of U. S. blankets, and a few rounds of 
powder and lead, with which to keep their young 
men in practice. 

I have no evidence that they were furnished 
with gatling guns. But I have heard the story 
told, that a certain chief applied to a certain 
officer, on a certain occasion, for a howitzer. The 
officer said, " No, can't have it, you want to kill 
my soldiers with it." " No," said the chief, " No 
want 'em for soldier. Stick heap good for soldier, 
want 'em big gun for ' Cow-boy.' " 

This outbreak proved most disastrous to the 
citizens of Umatilla County, Oregon. They were 
scared away from their homes in the midst of 
their harvest. Fences were torn down and loose 
stock destroyed the most of the crops. Much 
valuable property was stolen or destroyed, and a 
general stoppage of business for a month or so 
was the result. 

But, unlike Idaho and Washington Territories, 
Congress granted an appropriation for the benefit 
of the Oregon sufferers three years ago. 



CHAPTER XXIX. 

"Vic"Trivett; His Dying Request Complied With to the 
Letter — Jack Vincent, Joe Crabb, Captain T. J. Stump, 
Captain John Stump, Captain Van Pelt, Captain George 
Sampson — A Temporary Reform, Or Why We Joined the 
Good Templars — Our Last Appearance — Captain J. W. 
Troupe, Captain Eph Baughman, Captain Easterbrook — 
What Worked the "Coldness, " and How We Warmed It 
Up — A Romance in Two Pages — An Old, Tried and True 
Bride — After Sixteen Years. 

IN 1855, while at The Dalles, in Colonel Kel- 
ley's command, I became intimately ac- 
quainted with Vic (Victor) Trivett. Vic — as he 
was known among his friends, and loved to be 
called — was one of the first printers who came to 
Oregon. He followed his profession a short time, 
and then repaired to The Dalles where he located 
permanently as one of the first settlers in the 
town ; engaged in the liquor trade, or saloon 
business, and made many warm friends, among 
whom were Captains Thomas Stump, John 
Stump, Baughman, Sampson, Gray, McNulty, 
Wolfe and Van Pelt, of the Columbia river boats ; 

(415) 



41 6 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

Colonel Wilson, George Allen, Joe Crabb, Jack 
Vincent, and a host of other early pioneers. I 
mention the above names because I shall speak 
of them again in relation to Vic and other matters 
which came under my personal observ-ation, to 
illustrate more fully the friendly feeling that 
existed among the pioneers, no matter what 
station in life they filled. So deep was this feel- 
ing that nothing but death could sever the ties ; 
and after they were, one by one, laid in their 
graves, their memory remained green in the 
innermost hearts of the survivors, and their 
slightest dying requests^ though they be ever co 
odd or whimsical, were carried out or complied 
with. 

I will write first of Vic, then of the others as 
I can recall them to memory. Vic was known 
as the friend of all who needed his aid in poverty 
or sickness. He was a law-abiding citizen 
although a saloon-keeper; served in the Oregon 
legislature through several of its sessions, and 
filled many other ofi&ces of importance and trust, 
with dignity and honor to himself and his con- 
stituents. When he was called on to " pass in 
his checks " for final adjustment, his great, 
warm heart, even in this trying moment, could 
not beat its last throb until he had said to his 
sorrowing wife and surrounding friends : " Tell 
Joe Crabb to see that Jack Vincent does not go to 



ReTniniscences of an Old Timer. 4^7 

the State's prison, and that I am buried on Mim- 
a-loose island " (a small island in the Columbia 
river, a few miles below The Dalles). It is 
scarcely necessary for me to state that Vic's last 
wishes were complied with. He died in San 
Francisco. His remains were brought back to 
The Dalles, and then by sorrowing friends laid 
to rest on the island he had selected. A beauti- 
ful monument of grey granite, donated by old 
comrades, was erected to his memory and now 
stands above his remains in full view of the 
traveler either by the O. R. & N. Go's railroad 
or river division, testifying how fully old timers 
in the West fulfill the dying requests of. com- 
rades and friends who have gone before. 

Jack Vincent, an old friend of Vic's, had got 
into trouble and killed a man, which led to one 
of Vic's requests. Jack was acquitted by a jury 
of his peers. 

Joe Crabb, the other man mentioned, is a sport- 
ing-man now residing at Walla Walla. Although 
a sporting-man, Joe is noted for his gentlemanly 
comportment, is always ready to assist those who 
are in need of aid from his friendly purse, and 
strictly honorable in all his business transactions, 
a courteous and affable gentleman, a true and 
warm-hearted friend. His epitaph is yet to be 
written. May he have an abler pen than mine 
to record his last wishes. 

27 



4i8 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

Captain T. J. Stump, one of the earliest navi- 
gators of the Columbia and the rough waters of 
Snake river, did much toward opening and devel- 
oping the waters mentioned by causing many 
improvements to be made on the rapids, and by the 
cool and daring manner in which he handled his 
boats while passing through rough rapids and 
over dangerous falls. He was a man of many 
attainments. He died while passing through 
the tortuous channel of dangerous rapids, with 
his hands firmly grasping the wheel, his long, 
white beard flowing over his breast, making 
almost a fitting shroud for the veteran navigator 
of the difficult waters of the West. But he has 
left behind him relatives who are worthy of the 
mantle he left to fall upon their shoulders, who 
still pilot vessels over the turbulent waters of 
Oregon and Washington Territory. 

Captain John Stump, a brother of Captain T.J. 
Stump, is a festive youth (?) of some fifty seasons, 
is a bachelor by trade, and still stands by the 
wheel — when he is not looking for a young wife ; 
which latter he says he will have if he has to 
remain in the employ of the O. R. & N. Co. fifty 
years longer in order to obtain the record neces- 
sary in such cases. Captaiu John is a deter- 
mined fellow of the good old sort, and I am sure 
he will " make it." 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 419 

Captain Van Pelt is yet to be buried on bis' 
cbosen ground at Celido. I tbink be will get 
tbere in tbe " sweet bye-and-bye." 

Cbief Mate Jacob Nalques, tbe oldest mate on 
any of tbe Oregon and Wasbington waters, and 
wbo bas devoted forty years of bis life to steam- 
boating on our rivers, says tbat now, at seventy 
years of age, be don't tbink be could carry a 700- 
pound ancbor on board witbout belp. But be is 
still on deck, and is a good pilot. 

Captain Geo. Sampson is tbe same good fel- 
low tbat be always was ; an able navigator, and 
a warm-bearted friend. He can tell as good a 
story as any man in tbe Nortbwest. One of bis 
stories I will try to recite bere — as it relates to 
bimself and otber well-known old timers — as 
" Samps " tells it : 

He, Vic Trivett, Frencb, Stump, Joe and 

some otbers bad got into tbe babit of " laying 
out late o' nigbts," and (as tbeir wives would 
bave it) indulging in too mucb " sbeep-berders' 
deligbt." Tbe ladies finally organized a Good 
Templars' lodge, and named it " Mt. Hood." 
Tbis was for tbe especial benefit of tbeir bus- 
bands, and by tbe blandisbments used, tbey in- 
veigled tbeir unsuspecting better balves into tak- 
ing tbe pledge. Tbe captain says all went well for 
some time; but one evening, on Sampson's 
returning from a trip up tbe river, be met Joe 



420 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

on the street, and Joe was " pretty full." On 
shaking hands, Joe said, "Come, Samps (hie), 
let's go down to Vic's, and have a drink." "No, 
Joe," said Samps ; " we are Mt. Hooders now." 
Joe straightened up and asked, " Haven't you 
taken a drink since then ? " " No," said Samps. 
"Why, you're a (hie) fool," said Joe; " that was 
(hie) meantforthe ladies ! Comeon ! " And " come 
on " it was. After having " irrigated " " pretty 
plenty," Joe said, " Come, Samps, let's go to Mt. 
Hood (hie); it's nomination night ! " 

" Samps " demurred, as he knew there would 
be many ladies present, among others their 
wives; but to Mt. Hood tbey went. The hall 
being full, they sat down on the steps in front of 
the Worthy Chief's station. It was soon de- 
clared in order to nominate some one for Worthy 

Chief. Mrs. F received the nomination. 

Joe started to raise up, but Samps pulled him 

down. Then Mrs. T was nominated for 

Worthy Vice-Templar. Joe again attempted to 

get up. Mrs. S for Worthy Organist. 

Again Joe strove to raise, only to be pulled back 
by Samps. Finally it was declared in order to 
nominate some one for Worthy Outside Guard. 
Joe started up again ; Samps tried to seat him, 
but this time it was "no go." He turned to 
Samps, saying, "Samps (hie), let me alone;" 
then "Worthy Chief (hie), Brother F- 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 421 

(hie) has si-faxed around and got his wife nom- 
inated for Worthy (hie) Chief. Brother (hie) 

T has fooled around till he got his wife 

nominated (hie) Worthy Vice-Templar ; and 
here (hie) is Brother Samps, he's si-faxed around 
till he got his wife in as Wor(hic)thy Organist. 
I now (hie) nominate my wife Worthy (hie) 
Outside Guard." 

This scene can be better appreciated when I 
say that Joe was a fine lawyer, and one of the 
most wealthy citizens of the city, and that his 
wife was a most " dressy " and accomplished 
lady. Samps says this was " their last appear- 
ance." 

Captain J. W. Troupe who is at this writing, 
the commodore of the O. R. & N. Co's fleet of mag- 
nificent steamboats, which ply the waters of the 
Columbia and Snake, is a son of one of the first 
Captains who navigated the rivers of the west. 
"Captain Jimmie," as his legions of admiring 
friends designate him, took the wheel at the 
early age of sixteen ; advanced, step by step, as 
purser, mate and pilot, until at twenty-five he 
stood in the pilot-house unmatched in his skill- 
ful navigation of the turbulent and dangerous 
waters of the Northwest. His worth has been 
signally recognized by the companies he has 
served; not alone because of his brave and care- 
ful navigation, but also because of their implicit 



422 Reminiscences of an Old Timer, 

confidence in his sterling business qualities. He 
married the eldest daughter of that noble old 
veteran, Capt. T. J. Stump, mentioned in this 
chapter, to whom " Capt. Jimmie " attributes 
much of his success as a navigator. Affable, 
kind and attentive to those in high and low 
places alike, Capt. Troupe will never be friend- 
less. 

Captain Bph Baughman is another pioneer 
captain on the waters of the Willamette, Colum- 
bia and Snake. He is about fifty-five years old, 
skillful in his calling, and still has command of 
the most prominent upper Snake river packet. 
Captain Baughman is, I am assured, the orig- 
inator of the style of light draught boats now 
used ou the difficult streams of this coast. 

By the way, I must tell one more story of 
early days. On one occasion I was going to the 
mines, in company with some other old miners, 
one of whom was an old sea captain, who is, I 
believe, still living ; so I shall call him Baster- 
brook for short. He had gained the command 
of a whaling vessel in his younger days. Leav- 
ing his wife and a year-old son at his home away 
down in Maine, he sailed for the whaling grounds, 
where he spent two years. He had reached the 
Sandwich Islands on his return trip, when his 
owners sold the vessel and cargo, transferring 
him and his crew to another ship, and ordered 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer, 423 

him back to the whaling grounds again. He 
went, and was gone another two years, when, 
returning with a cargo of bone, ivory and oil, that 
ship and cargo were sold while he was yet in 
Pacific waters, and he was ordered home via the 
isthmus. Arriving at the isthmus, he was 
ordered to take command of a clipper ship, then 
lying in port, with a large list of passengers on 
board, from which the American consul had 
removed the commander for cruelty to passengers. 
Captain Basterbrook assumed command, and 
brought the ship to San Francisco, her destina- 
tion. This was in 1849. ^^^^ captain caught 
the gold fever, and went to the mines, not having 
seen his family for about five years. " Fickle 
Fortune " played many pranks with him — as the 
jade has been prone to do with thousands of 
other good old timers — yet, from time to time the 
captain would send sums of money back to his 
wife and son. The captain was a most jovial 
comrade, and could tell as good a story as any 
old salt. He was generous and true, but rather 
prone to form hasty opinions of those whom 
chance threw into his company. Withal he was 
a very sensitive man. 

For some unaccountable reason, he took a dis- 
like to me on our first acquaintance, and while he 
was jovial, free and easy with all the rest of our 
party, he remained cold and reticent toward me, 



424 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

indicating that he wished no familiarit}^ on my 
part. As we jogged along day after day, my dis- 
like for him became almost as strong as his was 
for me. It being spring-time, the small streams 
were running full, and the roads were muddy. 
The captain was not the finest equestrian in the 
world, and some remarks from me about his 
horsemanship had probably created his coldness 
on our first acquaintance. So while crossing a 
swale one day the captain's horse made an awk- 
ward flounder and pitched the captain over his 
head and into the mud. As he was not hurt in 
the least, all the men except myself were con- 
vulsed with laughter. As he scrambled out of 
the mud I saw him shoot fiery glances at me, but 
as I was pouty at him, I thought I wouldn't even 
gratify him by laughing at his mishap. As soon 
as he saw that I declined to join in the laugh he 
joined in it himself, and made some droll and 
quaint remarks about his mud bath. 

A day or two afterward I was riding along 
sidewise with both my feet out of the stirrups. 
Coming to a muddy slough which was six or 
eight feet wide, I paid no attention to it or my 
position in the saddle, because my horse had 
always waded right through such places; but on 
this occasion he fooled me some by coming up to 
the edge of the hole and giving a sudden spring, 
he cleared the slough all right, but his rider did 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 425 

not — I sat in the middle of the puddle of mud 
and water, which came up to my neck. Every- 
body except the captain commenced a roar of 
laughter. For a moment he looked as solemn as 
a monk; then he jumped off his horse and came 
and assisted me out of the mud. Bursting into 
a hearty laugh, he said : " Buckeye, if you had 
laughed the other day when I went into the mud, 
I should have shot you ; but as you did not, I 
resolved not to laugh if you met with a mishap, 
but this is too rich." And with another hearty 
outburst he asked, " Why don't you shoot me 

now to get even ? " I said, " Oh, you be 

blessed." 

This tumble and laugh had the effect of revers- 
ing matters, and we were soon warm friends. 
We afterwards met at Shoalwater bay, where the 
captain had taken a claim and was engaged in 
oystering. Mischief-makers and tale-tellers had 
so wrought upon the feelings of his wife in 
Maine, in the meantime, that she had finally 
sued for a divorce ; but as the captain remitted 
her money each year, her action wouldn't lie 
under the laws of that State. The captain hav- 
ing heard of her movement, applied for and 
obtained a divorce in Washington Territory, and 
notified her of the fact. Sometime afterwards 
Mrs. Basterbrook met a gentleman who had 
been intimately acquainted with the captain, and 



426 Re7ni7iisce7ices of an Old Tinier. 

was conversant witli all the circumstances. He 
told her the whole truth, whereupon she wrote 
to the captain a ver}^ loving explanatory letter, 
set forth her " bill of jDarticulars," and advised 
him that if it was his pleasure she would come 
out to him, as she had plenty of the money that 
he had sent her, to do so on. A few letters 
passed between them, when all was made lovely 
once more, and she started to him, notifying him 
of the probable date of her arrival at Astoria, 
so that he might meet her and her son, who was 
now seventeen years old. The captain told me 
all about it, and requested me to accompany him. 
I did so. The first night we stopped with a 
family that had emigrated from the Isle of Man, 
consisting of a hale, hearty, gruff old English 
gentleman, who was considerably given to wit, 
with his wife and several handsome daughters. 
The captain had been casting admiring glances 
at the young ladies, and at the supper table he 
told the folks that we were on our way to 
Astoria, where he expected to meet his former 
wife and marry her over again. The old gen- 
tleman exclaimed, " Good idea ! Good idea, 
captain ! Heap easier warmin' up cold soup 
than making new ! " This opened merriment 
for the evening. 

We met Mrs. Basterbrook at Astoria, and 
again, after sixteen eventful years of separation 



Reminiscences of an Old Tinner. 427 

and anxiety, and two divorce suits, the captain 
had the great, grand, glorious pleasure of again 
clasping to his manly heart his old, tried and 
true loving bride, and I am assured that at this 
writing — a quarter of a century after that second 
wedding — they are both living happily in their 
oeautiful home on the weather beach, near Shoal- 
water bay. 

This is but one case out of hundreds in which 
the pioneers of California, Oregon and Washing- 
ton left loving wives and romping children in 
happy homes to face the setting sun, toil, priva- 
tions, danger and bad luck; for years in striving 
to amass a fortune, cheered only by the hope of 
again meeting and gladdening the hearts of loved 
ones left behind, with wealth as well as caresses. 
Many fell by the wayside, after years of toil, 
and were laid to rest in unmarked graves, far from 
the homes they fondly cherished. Some, through 
adversity, forgot their loved ones far away, and 
took to drink ; some were forgotten by their 
loved ones ; yet others, like the captain, were 
eventually made happy. 



CHAPTER XXX. 

The Steamboats Boosted Me, but the Railroad Knocked IMe 
Down — In Politics — A Councilman — Why I Had Not 
Been There Before — Solid Advice; I Followed It — A 
Reference to the Late Senator Nesmith — Solid With 
the Governor — Why I Was Reckoned as Smart as Any 
Democrat — In Their Midst Before I Knew It — A Confi- 
dential Explanation — Ladies Biased For Home Pro- 
duction — Wisdom, Strength and Beauty, Wherein I 
Proved My Usefulness — The "Places of Public Resort" 
A Job On the Chief Clerk of the House— " It's Mesel' 
That's not Loikin' the Looks av Yes"— " A Total Wreck " 
—Agent of the O. R. & N. Co— Defending My Wife's 
, Property — She Slammed the Door in My Face — 
'*Like Cures Like, or Kills — The Couch Prepared By 
Loving Hands — Offered $500 a Month; Declined — 
Why I Have Made This Inflection — A Safe Proposition — 
Busted — An Author's Trials. 

AS I said before, I purchased the Grange City 
warehouse business from the Patrons, or 
grangers, and pushed the enterprise with the aid 
of a few friends. 

I built six more large warehouses, getting in 
debt $20,000. A year or so afterward the railroad 
passed through the property, rendering it entirely 

(42S) 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 429 

worthless as a shipping point; and I have been 
trying ever since to work myself out of debt. 
Think I'll do it yet. 

I dabbled in politics a little in 18S0. I received 
the Democratic nomination to represent Columbia 
county in the council of the legislative body 
of Washington territory, and that fall I was 
elected to that important position. 

* I had been nominated years before to represent 
a county, but I .had a great respect for lawmakers 
then, believed it required a great amount of edu- 
cation, brains, tongue and cheek ; and being aware 
that I possessed only two of these qualifications, 
(cheek and tongue) at that time, I declined to 
serve. An old friend — Judge Brisco — urged me 
to accept the position (or the " chance " to obtain 
it) , saying it would be a good school. He assured 
me that he thought I would make a good repre- 
sentative, telling me that all I had to do when 
any one came around me, " log-rolling " or quiz- 
zing in regard to any bill, was just to keep my 
mouth shut and give him a knowing smile, and 
I would soon be reckoned the smartest man in 
the legislative body. I told him that the thing 
I couldn't do was to keep my mouth shut, so I 
peremptorily refused to represent. As I grew 
older I presume my cheek became harder, and I 
had learned to keep my mouth shut sometimes. 



430 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

So, as before stated, I accepted the nomination, 
was elected, and subsequently took my seat 
among tbe other Honorables. 

Nearly all of the other eleven councilmen 
were learned lawyers, and had represented their 
constituents and the " dear people " in those 
legislative halls on previous occasions, and 
there being only two Democrats besides myself, 
I didn't expect much help from my fellow- 
councilmen. 

All went well for two weeks, as I remembered 
Judge Brisco's advice of years before about the 
smile and shut mouth ; and like Senator Nesmith 
of Oregon, when he first took his seat in Con- 
gress, " only wondered how I ever was elected to 
such a position. After a week or two I com- 
menced wondering how the other fellows got 
where they were." 

When this last thought dawned upon my 
cloudy brain I had succeeded (by silence) in 
making a warm friend of the governor of our 
territory (Newell), who had served as governor 
of one or more of the older States, and sat in 
Congress with such men as Clay, Calhoun, 
Webster, and John Randolph of Roanoke. He 
was a profound lawyer as well as a skilled phy- 
sician, so I took advantage of the circumstances 
and of his ability in several instances. When 
a prominent bill had been introduced I would 



Reminisceftces of a7i Old Timer. 431 

converse with him on the subject. Then, when it 
came before the council for consideration, I would 
use the knowledge thus gained, pro or con^ to 
such good advantage that I was soon dubbed the 
"war-horse of the council," and was reckoned at 
least as smart as any Democrat on the floor, the 
governor being the only person who was aware 
of the source of my "profound legal ability." 
The governor had told the members of both 
Houses of the legislative body to walk boldly 
into his apartments without knocking, whenever 
they felt inclined to do so (he was a remarkably 
hospitable gentleman), so, some weeks after I 
had gained his friendship, I rushed into his of&ce 
on one occasion with a bill in my hand about 
which I knew as much as an Indian on the war- 
path does of charity to those who have fed and 
clothed him. I was in such haste for fear some 
other member might drop in and discover the 
source of my legislative ability, that I had gained 
the centre of the room before, to my surprise, I 
saw it was almost full of visitors — both ladies 
and gentlemen. The governor's two beautiful 
daughters were acting as his private secretaries. 
When my buzzard eyes took in the situation I 
commenced to back out, apologizing at the same 
time for having made such a rude entrance. But 
the governor promptly asked, " Colonel, anything 
I can do for you?" I replied that there was, 



432 Reminiscences of an Old Tinier. 

but I would call at a more seasonable hour when 
he was less engaged. " Come right in," said he. 
" These people don't amount to anything, they 
are only callers." He then introduced me all 
around, and having ascertained my dilemma, 
stepped across the room, took down a law vol- 
ume, opened it, and pointing to a section, said, 
" That is what you want to look at." I took the 
volume, and tucking it under my arm in the 
most learned and approved manner I was capable 
of assuming, was about to retire from their pres- 
ence, when the governor asked, " Can't those 
fellows get along without you for a short time?" 
"Yes," I replied, " better without than with me ! " 
"Then come here and be seated," said he; "I 
want to ask you a question or two if j^'ou can 
spare the time to answer them; " " All right," I 
said, as I seated myself. He then asked, " Col- 
onel, how happened it that you ever got to the 
capitol as a councilman." I asked if he would 
keep it a secret if I should tell him. He said he 
would, -and that he would also vouch for all pres- 
ent, even the ladies ; whereupon I told them that 
up to the time of the Democrats meeting in con- 
vention at Dayton no one had ever thought of 
such a thing as sending me to the legislature ; 
but just as we had perfected our organization we 
received a telegram advising us that Judge Hoov- 
er, a prominent Democrat and a profound lawyer, 



Reminiscences of an Old Tinier. 433 

had received tlie Democratic nomination for 
councilman for Whitman county, which joined 
Columbia county on the east ; and we knew he 
would be elected. While we were rejoicing over 
this news, another telegram was received that 
the Democrats of Walla Walla county (adjoin- 
ing Columbia on the west) had nominated Judge 
Sharpstein, one of the foremost and most elo- 
quent lawyers in the territory for their council- 
man, and we were sure of his election ; hence, 
more rejoicing. Then the question went the 
round, " What is there left for Columbia county 
to do ? We have wisdom in the east and strength 
in the west." 

Finally, it struck all that there was nothing for 
us to do but to beautify and adorn the council. I 
being the only handsome man in the county, every 
Democratic eye was fixed on me, and I received 
the unanimous Democratic nomination, in which 
over two hundred Republican voters concurred 
on election day. We now stood in the council 
as the three pillars of Democracy — Wisdom, 
Strength and Beauty, or Hoover, Sharpstein and 
Hunter. 

The governor then asked how I had main- 
tained my position since my arriving at the capi- 
tol. Pointing to his daughters, I said : " Gov- 
ernor, I refer the question." The ladies declared 
I was the most handsome man who had ever 

28 



434 Re7niniscences of an Old Timer. 

come from tlie " Bunch-grass country " (east of 
tHe Cascade mountains), but would hardly aver- 
age with the " clam diggers " of the Sound for 
beauty. 

This — coming from the ladies — I was com- 
pelled to accept, but I have ever since felt that 
they were prejudiced in favor of " home produc- 
tion." 

On the whole I guess I did very well as a 
councilman. I could eat as many oysters, clams 
and scale-fish as any other member ; visited all 
parts of the Sound country (at the expense of 
the territory); sustained my record for beauty; 
and, finally, became useful to the other members 
as a scape-goat ; for, on returning home, if 
any measure had become a law that was unsatis- 
factory to any of their constituents or others of 
diversified interests, " It was all Hunter's fault ; 
/didn't want it passed ! " 

So much was said to me and about me, that 
soon after my return home I was tendered two 
public receptions, as it was fast becoming patent 
to the average granger that I must have 
passed about all of the bills that became laws at 
that session. Yet, I believe that I am safe in 
saying that, as a whole, we were an average 
legislative body. We visited all the places of 
public resort, such as the penitentiary, insane 
asylum, Seattle, New Tacoma and Vancouver ; 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 435 

in fact, went everywhere we could get a free ride 
to (most of us were broke) . 

We found the people affable and kind, as 
nearly every man we met had "an ax to grind " 
on our machine. 

We made a very pleasant trip down the Sound 
on the O. R. & N. Go's fine steamer "Geo. B. 
Starr," commanded by the genial Commodore 
Wilson. On this trip the chief clerk of the 
House of Representatives accompanied us. Burk 
was his name. Among his many other avoca- 
tions and callings was that of newspaper reporter. 
He is now acting as my amanuensis, and I must 
tell the following story mildly, or I fear he will 
cross it out. Burk was a great hand to be peek- 
ing around and sticking his nose into other 
people's business in search of items. I, knowing 
Burk's "weakness," and expecting he would soon 
visit the engine-room, put up a job on him which 
created some little merriment at the time. Hav- 
ing given the cue to the captain and some of my 
fellow-members, I slipped away from the rest, 
and going to the engineer, asked him if he 
had a man in his crew who could carry his 
part of a joke without laughing, explaining 
the prank I wished to play. The engineer 
referred me to an Irish deck-hand whom I 
thoroughly posted, and handed him something 
to treat his mates with, Pat saying, " Bedad, an' 



43^ Rejni7iiscences of an Old Tinier. 

it's mesel' that'll fix 'im, shure!" Pat was 
installed as engineer pro tem., and Burk soon 
made his appearance, the rest of us following 
to take in the fun. True to his instinct Burk 
picked up a tool and was about to ask some 
question, when Pat, who seemed busily wiping 
some part of the machinery, quietly took the 
tool out of his hand. Burk gave him a peculiar 
look, but soon had hold of some other article. 
Pat as quickly took that out of his hand, and 
received a still more peculiar look. This perform- 
ance was repeated several times, and until Burk 
ebulliated, saying, "What do you mean, sir?" 
"Bedad," says Pat, "it's mesel' that's not loikin' 
the looks av yes at all, at all ; an' yes better be 
makin' thracks out o' this ! " Burk was " all 
broke up " for a moment, but on looking around 
he espied me standing behind a screen laughing, 
and he " came for me." Well, they sold "refresh- 
ments " on the upper deck. 

[Right here occurred a halt in the writing of 
this book, as Burk persisted in writing what he 
thought were some " good yarns " on me, and I 
persisted in tearing them up.] 

Returning from law-making, I resumed my 
forwarding and storage business. About this 
time the O. R. & N. Co. built a railroad right 
through my place (Grange City) , and on its com- 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 437 

pletion my property was rendered valueless, and 
I was left a total wreck financially. 

The O. R. & N. Co. made me their agent for 
Starbuck and Grange City at a salary of one 
hundred dollars per month, which position I held 
for two years. Finally I became so rich, and 
the company so poor, that mj' services were dis- 
pensed with, as they seemed to be able to get men 
to do the work for nothing and board themselves. 
My health being good, I didn't begrudge my 
successor his situation at the salary. 

While I was acting as agent at Starbuck, my 
wife engaged in the chicken business to assist 
me and the babies in ekeing out an existence. 
She did well for awhile, but one morning about 
three o'clock I was suddenly awakened by a shock 
in the pit of my stomach, which I was soon aware 
had been caused by a collision with Mrs. H's 
delicate pedal extremities ; and at the same time 
my ears were saluted with " George, get up, 
something is catching all my chickens." Jump- 
ing out of bed and rushing to the hennery in 
undress uniform, I saw something bobbing around 
among the frantic poultry. To grasp a club and 
make war on the invader was the act of just two 
seconds. One lusty blow settled it — with me — 
I reeled toward the house, holding on to the soles 
of my feet, for my stomach seemed to permeate 
my lower extremities, and my whole physical 



438 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

system seemed inclined to reverse matters. 

Reaching the house, Mrs. H screamed, as 

she slammed the door in my face, " Don't come 
in here." She then got a tub of water, a keg of 
soft soap, a scrubbing brush and a change of such 
clothing as I generally have on when the educated 
folks say I am "^;^ deshabille^^ and set them all 
out to leeward. Then she went in search of per- 
fumery (carbolic acid, ammonia, chloride of lime 
and asafoetida. She said our homeophatic family 
physician had once observed in her hearing that 
" like cures like, or kills." I answered without 
any rhetorical effort as I submerged myself in 
that cold soap and water, that a little more of the 
" like " I had got in the hen-house would kill 
anything. The fact is, I had come in contact with 
the business end of that skunk. After wearing 
out the soap, water and brush, I took a cologne 
bath and retired on a lounge that had been pre- 
pared for me by loving hands in a remote corner 
of the wood shed. 

The next day, while attending to the business 
of my office at Starbuck, the train came in and 
stopped for a few moments. I was out on the 
platform checking freight, when a very dressy 
gentleman stepped up to me and asked if I was 
agent at that place. I answered, " Yes." " What 
wages do you get ? " he asked. " A hundred a 
month/' I replied. " You are very foolish for 



Reminiscences of afi Old Timer, 439 

working so cheap," lie observed. I said I couldn't 
do any better. " Yes, you can," said he, " if 
you will go with me to Frisco, I will give you 
$500 a month to work for me." This sudden pro- 
position checked my work, and I was about to 
propose the immediate construction of articles of 
agreement, when I happened to inquire in what 
way he would expect me to earn such a salary. 
He smilingly replied that he was a manufactur- 
ing chemist, and he wanted me to stand on the 
sidewalk in front of his warerooms to indicate to 
the public that perfumery could be purchased 
within by the cargo. I mentioned a place that 
he could go to, and went on checking freight. 

When the next train afrived, a woman stuck 
her head out of a car window and remarked, 
" Whe-e-ew, what smells so?" I said " Mecca is 
just four miles below here, and you probably 
smell the dead." 

It is perhaps proper to state that there are 
some wags among the Northwestern railway con- 
ductors, some of that class ran on this particular 
road, and having heard of my odoriferous adven- 
ture among the fowls, they were no doubt whet- 
ting their wits at my expense. 

When I forfeited my situation as agent (as 
before stated) , I traded for a hotel at Riparia. It 
was soon manifest that I was a '' clever fellow," 
but I couldn't run a hotel worth a cent. So I 



440 Retniniscences of an Old Tinier. 

allowed my wife to landlord it, and I went Bast 
with a few car-loads of horses. 

While stopping a few days in Dakota I was 
induced by a few newly made friends to speak a 
little piece (they called it a lecture) about the 
resources and advantages of the Northwest corner 
of the Union. I did the same act in Minnesota 
afterward, and then — as fortune has for years 
proved unkind to me — I found myself in a con- 
dition to write such a book as this. Now, I fear, 
I am fitted to go on a lecturing tour. I have all 
to gain and nothing to lose, for, in the classical 
words of the poet, " I am busted." 

The reader can, perhaps, form a faint idea of 
the trials, troubles, vexations and " cussative- 
ness " that an unlettered old timer who has 
picked up all he knows, is compelled to undergo, 
overcome or wade through in trying to write a 
book, when he has an educated, red-headed galoot 
of a newspaper reporter, an ex-clerk of the Dis- 
trict Court, ex-clerk of the Probate Court, ex- 
county auditor, ex-U. S. commissioner, ex-notary 
public, ex-commissioner of deeds, land agent, 
broker, collector, conveyancer, insurance agent, 
auctioneer, accountant and commission-man (I 
got all these big words off one of his old busi- 
ness cards, and put in the " ex's " myself); he is 
a western-raised nondescript ; has been a chief 
clerk in the legislature, a painter, a carpenter 



Reminiscences of a7i Old Timer. 441 

and wood-sawyer ; a packer, a stage-driver and a 
teamster ; a merchant, a clerk and a cow-boy ; a 
miner, a vaquero and a school-teaclier ; can talk 
a little Latin, Greek, Spanish, Nez Perce, Ki-use 
and Chinook (and little English) . He is, or has 
been, sometimes called a " one-horse lawyer ;" 
has had a " whole passel " of money, lands, 
mills, horses, town lots, and I don't know what 
else. But he is now down to my level ; he is 
" busted." He — the fellow above partially de- 
scribed — is now my a — am — well, he spells it a-m- 
a-n-u-e-n-s-i-s. As I was going to say, the 
reader will, I hope, sympathize with me, and 
excuse and exonerate me for anything in these 
pages that may appear like a strain on the men- 
tal faculties ; for every time I have left him he 
has managed to ring some of his big words in on 
me, and transpose my sentences. When I have 
demurred, he talked about " grammatical con- 
struction," " orthography," and other things which 
I never saw running wild in the Northwest. 
Here is an illustration : 

" George, let me write up a description of a 
pack-train, for the benefit of your eastern read- 
ers who never saw one." 

" Well, go on, Burk ; you may be better at tell- 
ing my story than I am myself." ^= * * 

"George, how is this for a starter: 'The 
pack-trains — of which freq^uent mention has been. 



442 Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 

made in these pages — were principally composed 
of mules, bronchos and cayuses, caparisoned 
with aparajos, hackamores, coronies and crup- 
pers.' " 

" Well, I should sneeze; ' how is it ? ' Because 
you have served in every capacity in packing — 
as bell-boy, cook, savijtaro, chinkadero and cai^ga- 
dero — do you suppose those civilized eastern folks 
can understand all that stuff? Climb down a 
few stories. Come down ! Come down ! ! " 

" Well, how is this, then. ' Gentle reader, I 
will now endeavor to portray to your mind the 
muleativeness, trailativeness, and ' " 

"Stop her! Lower your kite. Talk United 
States." 

" Well, I'll try you with another mess. ' As 
the visitor to these sylvan shores to-day sits in 
his luxuriant palace car, quaf&ng the incense 



" That settles it. What's a mule got to do with 
a Pullman car? What ' sylvan visitor' was ever 
incensed by quafiS.ng at a ten-gallon keg that was 
lashed on to a mule's back ? " 

" But, George, you old fossils, when writing, 
never take into consideration the verbiage, 
grammatical construction, orthography and 
punctuation necessary to impart smoothness to 
your sentences, and " 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 443 

" That's it. Wlien I won't let you write tliose 
eleven-dollar words in my book you'll try to 
knock me out with your moutH. A pack-train 
was your subject. Go for the mules, and let " 

" But to tbe Eastern reader it is necessary to 
be somewbat explanatory of phrases." 

" Well let tbem come out here and live in a 
good country once, and they'll ' tumble ' to the 
phrases." 

[Tableau]. 



A SUPPLEMENTAL CHAPTER. 

A Few Hints About the Northwest — Its 
Resources and Attractions. 

The reader has probably concluded that it 
would require more and larger reference sheets, 
to keep me from " scattering," than it used to 
Artemus Ward — the renowned humorist ; and as 
he lectured on every subject but the one he 
advertised ("Babes in the Woods"), I maybe 
accused of writing of everything but the memories 
of an old timer ^ thereby furnishing additional 
evidence of the truth of the old adage, " we are all 
true to our instincts." 

Now, I will frankly say that I would destroy 
and re-write the preceding chapters but for the 
fear of getting them worse mixed than ever. So 
I shall trust to luck — an old timer's main-stay — 
and the charity of the public. In the language 
of " A. Ward " when he was solicited to visit the 
towns of Virginia and Nevada, in Montana, at 
the time the vigilantes were hanging roughs — 
" I won't; be hanged if I do." 

(444) 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 445 

But I must add a brief pen-sketch of the 
country of which I have necessarily made men- 
tion in my stories, commencing with northern 
California. My description must necessarily be 
brief, as it would require several volumes of this 
size to partly describe the country with all its 
beauties, scenery, wealth and other attractions. 

Northern California is bisected longitudinally 
by two parallel chains of mountains, out of 
which flow numerous beautiful streams of water, 
along the most of which have been rich placer 
and quartz-mines. The broad bottoms or valleys 
are remarkable for their fertility, and have for 
years been utilized for gardens, orchards and 
vineyards. The mountains are covered with 
valuable timber. 

Shasta, the northernmost valley in the State, 
is perhaps fifty miles long by forty in width ; 
and what was deemed a plain unfit for cultivation 
at the time of which I wrote in previous chap- 
ters, has proved to be the most valuable agri- 
cultural land. 

That portion of northern California lying east 
of the Sierra Nevada mountains — which are a 
continuation of the Cascade range of Oregon — 
was then considered valueless; but it also has 
proved to be valuable both for farming and 
grazing purposes. The climate is mild and 
health-giving. 



446 Reminiscences of a7i Old Timer. 

Passing northward across tlie Siskij^ou mount- 
ains — a spur which, runs at right angles with 
the Cascades and Sierra Nevadas — you find 
yourself in the beautiful Rogue River valley in 
Oregon, which nestles among high hills and 
mountains west of the main Cascade range, and 
is drained by the beautiful mountain-stream of 
that name. The mountains and hills are covered 
with a beautiful growth of pine, fir, laurel and 
oak timber, while the numerous streams and 
rivulets flowing out of them are teeming with 
trout and salmon, A more beautiful and health- 
ful spot than this valley — which is perhaps 
eighty miles long and from fifteen to forty miles 
in \\ddth — could not be found in au}^- country. 
All of the mountains named abound in game, 
such as deer, elk, bear and smaller animals, and 
were the favorite roving-grounds of the grizzly, 
who is still often met in his rounds. For a 
minute description of this lovel}^ and fertile 
valley, as well as some others I shall mention, 
I must refer the reader to books especially 
devoted to them, which are far more descriptive 
than I could possibly be. 

Continuing northward, we cross Jump-ofif-Jo, 
Grave creek. Crab creek and Cow creek, with 
their small valleys and heavily timbered hills ; 
all fertile when cleared ; and all of which have 
been developed more or less since the removal of 



Reminiscences of an Old Ti7ner. 447 

the Indians. They are fast becoming noted for 
their beauty, as they always were for healthful- 
ness. 

Next we come to the south and north Ump- 
qua's, with their many tributary valleys of beauty 
and fertility. Then, having crossed the Umpqua 
or Calipooia mountains, we are in the south or 
upper end of the far-famed Willamette valley, of 
which so much has been written by ready writ- 
ers that I fear any attempt of mine tcf describe it 
would be a waste of raw material. Suffice it to 
say that this whole stretch of country for a dis- 
tance of five hundred miles, between the Cascade 
and Coast ranges of mountains, is fast assuming 
the appearance of the Atlantic and Northern 
States, in an agricultural and manufacturing 
sense; though of manufactories, a great many 
more are needed in every section of the North- 
west. 

By the time this work is published the Cali- 
fornia & Oregon Railroad will have been com- 
pleted clear through the stretch of country 
named, while there are two others running paral- 
lel with it through the Willamette valley ; and 
one transversely from Yaquina Bay easterly 
across the Cascade mountains, to connect with 
the Union Pacific, is already completed across 
the valley, and will, it is expected, reach eastern 
Oregon during the year. The Willamette valley 



448 Remmiscences of an Old Timer. 

being fhe oldest settled portion of the North- 
west, the development and improvement is not 
so rapid just now as in other portions of the 
country. The many cities and towns, of course, 
show much progress and substantial growth ; 
while an increased acreage of products, with a 
corresponding addition to the number of resi- 
dences, are the most noticeable features in the 
staid and complacent country surrounding them. 
The land is very productive, and is held at com- 
paratively low rates. 

Crossing the Cascade range of mountains, we 
enter eastern Oregon, some portions of which I 
have partially described in this book. It is gen- 
erally similar to northeastern California, though 
of course the climate is colder as we go north- 
ward. The Blue mountains, with their many 
spurs, divide eastern Oregon into numerous sec- 
tions, each comprised of level and rolling prairie 
of remarkable fertility, skirted and dotted with 
high hills and timbered mountains which are 
unsurpassed in the world for grazing purposes. 
Cool, clear springs and rapidly running trout 
streams are prominent features, as are also the 
healthfulness of climate, the mild winters and 
cool summer nights. Development has only com- 
menced there. Manufactories of all kinds are 
needed ; and a man can prosper in any vocation 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 449 

he may choose. The price of land is low, and 
there is much government land still vacant. 

What I say of eastern Oregon equally applies 
to southern and western Idaho, except that the 
soil is lighter in the valleys, and for the most 
part requires irrigation to make it produce well. 

Crossing the Columbia river, which for three 
hundred miles forms the boundary line between 
Oregon and Washington, we find, west of the 
Cascade mountains, the " Sound country," so 
called from Puget Sound, the majestic, placid 
inland sea, whose waters, navigable for all craft, 
have three thousand miles of shore line in this 
territory, and abound with fish of every descrip- 
tion, both shell and scale, prominent among 
which are the salmon, rock-cod, smelt, herring, 
sardine, flounder, oyster and clam. Ships of the 
deepest draught anchor within fifty feet of any 
portion of the shore, along which are located the 
thriving, prosperous and beautiful cities of Seat- 
tle, Tacoma, Olympia, Steilacoom, and many 
smaller towns. The bottoms and valleys along 
the numerous streams that flow into this many- 
armed inland sea are mostly " beaver-dam " 
lands, and are celebrated the world over for pro- 
ducing enormous crops of grain, vegetables, fruit 
and hops ; of the latter the Sound country is 
becoming the leader of the continent in the 
amount and excellence of quality of its output. 

29 



450 Reminiscences of an Old Tmier. 

The dense growth of gigantic fir, spruce, cedar, 
and other fine working and durable timber that 
covers the millions of acres of hill and mountain 
land, is being cut and hauled to the water's edge, 
from which they are floated to numberless mills 
of immense capacity that dot the shores, where 
it is made into lumber, which finds a market in 
every land and clime. It is the grandest lum- 
bering country in the world, and the supply of 
timber being almost inexhaustable, it will fur- 
nish work for multiplied thousands of men for 
centuries to come, as the manufacturing interests 
are as yet in their infancy. 

These same mountains and hills are underlaid 
with thousands of veins of the best quality of 
coal, several of which are being worked, and the 
output is enormous — iron, lime and building 
stone also exist there in large quantities, and are 
as yet scarcely developed. 

A casual consideration of the safe anchorage 
for all the navies and merchant marine of the 
world, at one time, in connection with the wonder- 
ful productiveness of soil, the everlasting supply 
of timber, coal, iron, stone and fish, coupled with 
the beauty and healthfulness of the climate, can 
but convince any one of the fact that the "Sound 
country" is soon to outrank in exportation any 
other section in the world. 



Reminisce7tces of an Old Timer. 451 

The most of tlie lands contiguous to the shores 
and larger streams have been entered, and are 
held at reasonable figures ; but there are millions 
of acres of very valuable timber and coal land 
still unclaimed and open to settlement. 

That portion of Washington Territory which 
lies east of the Cascade range of mountains, and 
between the Oregon line and British Columbia, 
is sometimes designated as the " Columbia basin," 
or a part of the " Inland Empire," and embraces 
the Walla Walla, Yakima, Spokane, Palouse, 
Colville and Okanogan countries or sections, men- 
tion of which is made in different chapters of this 
book ; like eastern Oregon, its makeup is of val- 
leys, rolling prairies, hills, mountains and streams. 
The land as a rule is richer, and affords a greater 
area for fine easy tillage than does eastern 
Oregon. Cereals, fruits and vegetables of nearly 
every kind and description grow to perfection. 

In this country we only had a month of severe 
weather during the past winter, and the ther- 
mometer was not as low as zero at any time. 
Cattle and horses wintered on the range, for the 
most part without any feed, and the loss was not 
to exceed five per cent on an average. 

Of the Walla Walla section, I have perhaps 
given an intimation. Of the great Palouse 
country I might write a whole chapter ; but will 
only say that it is a rolling, alluvial soil, easily 



452 Reminzsce7ices of an Old Timer. 

worked, well watered, very rich, and sparcely set- 
tled. 

The Spokane, Colville, and Okanogan sections 
are more mountainous, and better adapted to 
stock-raising. 

Yakima and Kittitas valleys, on the Yakima 
river, are proving wonderful producers, though 
there the soil requires irrigation, which is done 
at little expense. The hills around these valleys 
afiford range inexhaustible ; and there are raised 
more cattle than in any other section on the North 
Pacific slope. 

What is becoming known as the " Big Bend 
country," near the geographical centre of eastern 
Washington, is now attracting the attention of 
hundreds of settlers, and bids fair to become one 
of the most prominent sections named. 

But there are homes for thousands in each of 
the sections named. The most valuable lands, 
near the towns and main thoroughfares, have, 
of course, been entered, and are held at from $5 
to $50 per acre, owing to location and improve- 
ments ; but in more remote parts the emigrant 
has no trouble in finding good vacant govern- 
ment and railroad lands at $2.50 to $4 per acre, 
for, as I have remarked in several chapters, this 
country is just being developed. 

Speaking generally, I will say that the lately 
organized and planned railroad system is des- 



Reminiscences of an Old Timer. 453 

lined within a few years to develop and bring to 
tlie notice of the worid the country of which I 
have written, as being a country of grander propor- 
tions, more varied scenery, more boundless re- 
sources, and affording more rare opportunities 
to the man who can control a few thousand dol- 
lars, than does any other known portion of the 
globe. Schools and churches flourish in every 
settlement ; academies and colleges are found in 
all the towns of any considerable size ; our laws 
are just, and are scrupulously executed; our 
taxes are low ; our society compares favorably 
with that of old states. We are young, vigorous 
and healthy, with an assured future of wealth 
and happiness before us. 

Three grand transcontinental thoroughfares 
are open for your travel, ease and comfort, at a 
trifling expense, by either of which you can in a 
week's time visit this land of promise. The 
system of feeders and cross-roads — tapping the 
grand agricultural, mining and stock-growing 
sections — which are now being constructed, will 
afford you an opportunity to see for yourselves. 
The main lines, as a rule, follow the margins of 
streams or run through gulches, thereby aflbrd- 
ing the through tourist a very meagre view of 
the grand surroundings. 

The Northern Pacific and the Union Pacific 
systems of roads will either of them bring you 



454 Roniniscences of an Old Timer. 

from the East right into the heart of the coun- 
try I have mentioned ; and once here you will 
find no difficulty or hardship in visiting any 
portion of it, or finding good opportunities for 
any and every vocation you may elect to 
follow. 

In conclusion, I will say that if I have suc- 
ceeded in this, my effort at book-writing, in 
amusing you for a few hours, or imparting any 
useful information, and have received the price 
of the book, you may rest assured that I have 
realized my hopes, and that you have made 
an old pioneer of this grand Northwest happy ; 
for, remember, that " it takes money to make 
the mare trot." 

In the language of my tribe, "Nika cup-it" 
— / have ji7iished. 



APPBNDIX. 



APPEHDIX 



Supplemented for the benefit of Eastern readers, referring to references 

guaranteeing the truthfulness of this book, together with some 

hundreds of names of early pioneers of the West, 

giving their several places of birth, date of 

emigration, and present address. 

All of these persons agree to answer letters of inquiry 
in regard to the Pacific States and Territories. 

The author, Col. George Hunter, also respectfully re- 
fers to — 

Temple Lodge No. 7, A. F. & A. M., Astoria, Ore. 

Blue Mountain Lodge No. 7, A. P. & A. M., Walla 
Walla, W. T. 

Columbia Lodge No. 26, A. F. & A. M., Dayton, 
Columbia Co., W. T. 

The following letter from Hubert Howe Bancroft, the 
great Pacific Coast historian, of San Francisco, Cal., will 
speak for itself : — 

San Fkancisco, June 29, 1887. 
Colonel Geo. Hunter : — 

Dear Sir: Having had the pleasure of examining your "Reminis- 
cences of an Old Timer," I freely confess my surprise to find a work of 
such literary merit emanating from the pen of one who never attended 
school a day in his life. The trials, hardships, and dangers encountered 
by the pioneers of the Pacific Coast, in which you bore so prominent a 
part, are almost without a parallel in history. To the bravery and perse- 
verance of these men we owe much of our advancement and a great and 
lasting debt of gratitude. I therefore wish you unmeasured success in 
your literary venture. Yours truly, 

HUBERT H. BANCROFT. 
(457) 



458 APPENDIX. 

lie also has liberty to refer to — 

Hon. Judge N. T. Caton, Sprague, W. T. 
Hon. Judge Nash, Spokane Falls, W. T. 
Hon. James Kune, Seattle, W. T. 
Hon. Gov. Wm. Newell, W. T. 
Hon. Wm. White, Seattle, W. T. 
Hon. Col. J. K. Kelley, Portland, Ore. 
Col. Mc Conville, Lewiston, Id. T. 
Hon. L, p. Brown, Mount Idaho, Id. T. 
Judge E. P. Eussell, Oakland, Cal. 



NAMES AND ADDRESSES. 

ARMENT, I. N. Born in Indiana in 1856; came west, 1876. Jeweler. 

Daytox, Columbia Co., W. T. 

AGATTZ, FRED W. Born in New York in 1856; came west, 1878. 
Salesman Daytox, Columbia Co., W. T. 

ALLEN, C. B. Born in New York in 1859 ; came west, 1865. 

Port Canby, W. T. 

ANDREWS, M. E. Born in Dlinois in 1858 ; came west, 1865. Farmer. 

Oysterville, W. T. 

ANDERSON, W. A. Born in Tennessee in 1847; came west, 1872. 
Lumberman. Cosmopolis, Chehalis Co., W. T. 

ANDREWS, N. Born in New York in 1828; came west, 1853. Phy- 
sician. Daytox, Columbia Co., W. T. 

ABRAHAM, J. E. Bom in Washington Territory in 1865. 

Pampa, Whitman Co., W. T. 

ADAMS, DAVE. Born in New York in 1853; came west, 1870. Engi- 
neer, Oregon Railroad & Navigation Company. 

Dayton. W. T. 



APPENDIX. 459 

ALLEN, C. H. Born in Kentucky in 1818; came west, 1863. Physician. 
Ancient Mason. Pkescott, Walla Walla Co., W. T. 

ABBOTT, P. F. Born in New York in 1825; came west, 1849. 

Walla Walla, W. T. 

ANDERSON, WM. Born in New Jersey in 1844; came west, 1881. 
Farmer. Spokane Falls, W. T. 

ATWATER, J. E. Born in Nova Scotia in 1837 ; came west, 1874. Was 
one of Vick Trivit's warmest friends ; is the man spoken of in this 
book. Dallas, Oregon. 

ALLEN, B. F. Born in New York in 184.5; came west, 1885. Painter. 

Astoria, Oregon. 

AYERS, W. E. Born in Illinois in 1841; came west, 1864. Farmer. 
Ex-county commissioner of Columbia Co. Arrived worth 50 cts., 
now worth $22,000. ^ Datton, W. T. 

AUSTIN, C. G. Born in Ohio in 1846; came west, 1877. Warehouses, 
and Dealer in Grain. Pomerot, Garfield Co., W. T. 

ARBURY, W. T. Born in Kentucky in 1829 ; came west, 1850. Whole- 
sale and retail liquor dealer. Walla Walla, W. T. 

ALLEN, J. M. Born in Missouri in 1842; came west, 1863. County 
surveyor of Walla Walla Co. Walla Walla, W. T. 

ATHENS, C. W. Born in Indiana in 1847; came west, 1879. Practical 
Engineer. Walla Walla, W. T. 

BEARD, WM. M. Born in Missouri in 1863; came west, 1865. Now 
worth $2,500 made in this Territory. 

Datton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

BARCLAY, G. E. Born in Missouri in 1840; came west, 1870. Farmer. 
Begun with 25 cts., now worth $4,000. 

Datton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

BEARD, J. A. Born in Illinois in 1853 ; came west, 1865. Broke once^ 
now worth $6,000. Datton, Columbia Co., W. T. 



460 APPENDIX. 

BBOWN, MERRILL S. Born in Wisconsin in 1863 ; came west, 1881. 
Clerk O. R. & N. Co. Dayton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

BURGESS, T. T. Born in Kentucky in 1824 ; came west, 1851. Dealer 
in tobacco, cigars, and notions. Served in Mexican war. Is a veteran, 
and receives pension. Walla Walla, W. T. 

BICKNELL, EMORY. Born in Iowa in 1863 ; came west, 1886. Farmer. 

Datton, CoLuanBiA Co., W. T. 

BUTLER, W. H. Born in Illinois in 1848 ; came west, 1872. Farmer. 
Broke, now worth $1,000. 

Pataha City, Garfield Co., W. T. 

BAKER, R. H. Born in Indiana in 1859 ; came west, 1870. Carpenter. 

Colton, W. T. 

BAKER, M. A. Born in Oregon in 1850. Occupation, attorney at law. 

Daytox, Columbia Co., W. T. 

BRINING, JOHN. Born in Austria in 1851; came west, 1870. City 
treasurer. Served in the Legislative body 1883-^. 

Daytox, Columbia Co., W. T. 

BURGES, J. T. Born in Indiana in 1S56; came west, 1874. Had 
nothing, now worth $2,000. 

Daytox, Columbia Co., W. T. 

BENTON, GUS. Born in Michigan in 1847; came west, 1851. Farmer. 

Daytox, Columbia Co., W. T. 

BURLINGAME, E. Born in Wisconsin in 1849; came west, 1874. 
Owner of City Hall. Pomeroy, Garfield Co., W. T. 

BURLINGAME, J. Born in Wisconsin in 1853 ; came west, 1874. Far- 
mer. Broke, now worth $4,000. Served under Gen. O. O. Howard 
in the Bannock war. Pomeroy, Garfield Co., W. T. 

BURNELL, C. F. Born in Iowa in 1859; came west, 1872. Blacksmith. 
Had $2.50, now worth $3,000. 

Pataha City, Garfield Co., W. T. 

BATEMAN, p. B. Born in Illinois in 1861 ; came west, 1865. Farmer. 

Daytox, Columbia Co., W. T. 



APPENDIX. 4^1 

BRADFORD, W. Born in Indiana in 1855; came west, 1880. Owner 
and operator of Texas ferry on Snake River. 

RiPARiA, Columbia Co., W. T. 

BAUGHMAN, E. W. Born in Illinois in 1835; came west, 1850. 
Capt. of O. R. & N. Co.'s boat on Snake River. Is the Baughman 
mentioned in this book. Riparia, Columbia Co., W. T. 

BURGE, C. C. Born in New York in 1835; came west, 1850. Drayman. 
Sewed through Indian war of 1855-56 with Col. J. K. Kelley. . Has 
been acquainted with the author of this booli since 1855. 

Dattox, Columbia Co., W. T. 

BROWN, H. H. Born in Canada in 1867 ; came west, 1883. Operator 
O. R. & N. R. R. Waitsburg, Walla Walla Co., W. T. 

BLALOCK, N. G. Born in North Carolina in 1836 ; came west, 1873. 
Surgeon O. R. & N. Co. Graduated at Jefferson Medical College in 
class of 1860. Walla Walla, W. T. 

BUCK, C. F. Born in Vermont in 1841; came west, 1860. Fine stock. 
See National trotting register. 

Pre SCOTT, Walla AValla Co., W. T. 

BARRY, JAS. Bom in Ireland in 1861 ; came west, 1879. Employee 
O. R. & N. Co. Riparia, Columbia Co., W. T. 

BROWN, W. H. Born in England. Grocer. Walla Walla, W. T. 

BAUER, JACQUES. Born in France in 1834; came west, 1855. Cigars, 
tobacco, and notions. Fought the Indians under Col. Geo. Wright 
in 1855-56. Was at the massacre of the Cascades of the Columbia in 
1856. Walla Walla, W. T. 

BURROWS, CHARLIE. Born in Oregon in 1871. Clerk. 

Walla Walla, W. T. 

BRYANT, JOHN. Born in Virginia in 1839 ; came west, 1859. Served 
in Legislative body, 1873. Farmer and nurseryman. Was worth 
$47.50, now worth $25,000. Walla Waua, W. T. 

BRECHTEL, 0. Born in Germany in 1833; came west, 1861. Cracker 
factory, confections, groceries, etc. Business established in 1861. 
Has made a fortune. Walla Walla, W. T. 



462 APPENDIX. 

BENSON, J. M. Born in New York in 1838; came west, 1854. 

Dallas, Oregon. 

BESSERER, CHAS. Born in Germany in 1839 ; came west, 1857. Ed- 
itor of Milton Eagle. Milton, Umatilla Co., Oregon. 

BRENTS, THOS. H. Born in Ohio in 1840; came west, 1853. Dele- 
gate to Congress from Washington Ter. for three terms. 

Walla Walla, W. T. 

BAUMISTER, E. Born in Germany in 1848; came west, 1863. General 
merchandise. Asotin City, W. T. 

BOYER, J. F. Born in Kentucky in 1834; came west, 1877. Merchant. 
Waitsburg, Walla Walla Co., W. T. 

BROWN, R. M. Born in Illinois in 1849; came west, 1880. 

Waitsburg, Walla Walla Co., W. T. 

BOGART, H. Bom in New York in 1853- came west, 1877. Stock- 
raiser. Sprague, W. T. 

BRY, WILLIAM E. Born in California in 1861. Herdsman. 

Waitsburg, Walla Walla Co., W. T. 

BOWLES, A. S. Born in Virginia in 1850; came west, 1878. Has 
traveled over much of the United States, and regards the Walla WaUa 
Valley, all things considered, the finest country in the Union. Sheriff 
of Walla Walla County, has served two terms. 

Walla Walla, W. T. 

BABCOCK, GEO. W. Born in Rhode Island in 1833; came west, 1850. 
Architect. Has been in Washington Territory for years, and likes 
the country. Walla Walla, W. T. 

BOYER, JAS., of Baker & Boyer, Bankers. Established 1870. 

Walla Walla, W. T. 

BROWN, JOHN. Born in Norway in 1857; came west, 1859. U. S. 
Life Saving Service. North Cove, W. T. 

BENN, SAMUEL. Born in New York in 1833; came west, 1856. 
Farmer. Aberdeen, Chehalis Co., W. T. 



APPENDIX. 463 

BENN, G. C. Born in Washington Territory in 1864. Farmer. 

Aberdeen, Chehalis Co., W. T. 

BROUGHTON, C. J. Born in Maryland in 1854; came west, 1872. 
Merchant. Dattox, W. T. 

BAUER, JOHN. Born in Ohio in 1854 ; came west, 1886. Hotel keeper. 

Oysterville, W. T. 

BRISCO, JOHN. Bo»n in Connecticut in 1812; came west, 1852. Has 
filled every office of trust in the gift of the people of a county. 

Oysterville, W. T. 

BOWEN, ALF. D. Born in Wisconsin in 1861. Editor and proprietor 
of the Pacific Journal. Oysterville, W. T. 

BURROWS, W. H. Born in Canada in 1836; came west, 1862. Archi- 
tect. Superintendent of Columbia Co. Court House and Jail. 

Dayton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

BURKHART, J. D. Born in Indiana in 1832 ; came west, 1885. Wagon- 
maker and blacksmith. Day'ton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

BROOKMAN, W. H. Born in New York in 1854; came west, 1867. 
Furniture and upholstery. Oysterville, Oregon. 

BURCH, CHAS. Born in Michigan in 1861 ; came west, 1883. Stage 
driver. Oysterville, W. T. 

BUNNELL, C. C. Born in New York in 1835; came west, 1858. Hard- 
ware dealer. Lewiston, Idaho. 

BOSS, FERDINAND. Born in Germany in 1850; came west, 1868. 
Musician. Lewiston, Idaho. 

BEESON, G. E. Publisher Nez Perce News. Lewiston, Idaho. 

BUTLER, R. E. Born in Oregon in 1856. Physician and surgeon. 

Uniontown, W. T. 

BREMER, GEO. Born in Iowa in 1855; came west, 1877. Real estate. 

Moscow, Idaho. 



164 APPENDIX. 

BULLARD, JOB. Born in Vermont in 1829; came west, 1850. Served 
in th^' Le.<;:islative body of Washington Territory in 18.58. Is an old 
acquaintance of the author of this book. 

WiLLAPA, Pacific Co., W. T. 

BLESSINGER, JOHN. Born in Pennsylvania in 1838; came west, 1860. 
Farmer. Broke, now worth $10,000. • Dayton, W. T. 

COLEARD, C. W. Born in Oregon in 1863. Farmer. 

Pataha City, Garfield Co., W. T. 

CUNNINGHAM, THOS. Born in Kentucky in 1848 ; came west, 1874, 
General merchandise. Was worth 50 cts., now worth $20,000. M. 
Pomeroy Lodge. Pataha City, Gabfield Co., W. T. 

CLARK, W. L. Born in Illinois in 1843; came west, 1852. Broke, 
now worth $5,000. Walla Walla, W. T. 

COONE, D. M. Born in New York in 1832; came west, 1852. Stock- 
raiser. Rosalia, Whitman Co., W. T. 

CHADSEY, JAS. Born in Indiana in 1831; came west, 1849. Has 
amassed a fortune in the Walla Walla valley. Did more than any 
other one man to erect Vick Trivit's monument. 

Walla Walla, W. T. 

CHURCH, A. Born in Virginia in 1814; came west, 1853. Farmer and 
stock-raiser. Arrived with $1,200, now worth $16,000. He is know- 
ing to facts contained in this book. W.alla Walla, W. T. 

CARLYLE, F. J. Born in Canada in 1857; came west, 1879. Delmonico 
Hotel. Walla Walla, W. T. 

CATON, N. T. Born in Missouri in 1832; came west, 1845. Attorney 
at law. Has been intimately acquainted with the author of this book 
for twenty-four years. Served in the Legislative body of the Terri- 
tory — in the house twice and council once. Speaker of the house. 

Spragl-e, Lincoln Co., W. T. 

CROPP, J. F. Born in Virginia in 1854; came west, 1872. Physician 
and surgeon. Graduated at Jefferson Medical College, class of 1878. 

Walla Walla, W, T. 



Appendix. 465 

CROWLEY, D. J. Born iu Maine in 1854; came west, 1858. Attorney 
at law. Walla Walla, W. T. 

COYLE, J. B. Born in IlUnois in 1832; came west, 1851. Farming and 
stoclc-raising. Broke, now worth $15,000. 

Walla Walla, W. T. 

COYLE, BYRD. Born in Oregon in 1860. Freight clerk 0. R. & N. Co. 

Wallula, W. T. 

CORNWELL, I. M. Born Indiana in 1834; came west, 1852. 
Farmer, fruit-grower, and stock-raiser. Was worth $200, now worth 
$40,000. Served in Legislative body in 1881. 

Dixie, Walla Walla Co., W. T. 

CROUCH, E. C. Born in Illinois in 1840; came west, 1876. Farmer. 
Was worth $150, now worth $5,000. 

Dayton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

CHAMBERLAINE, J. B. Born in New York in 1826; came west, 1868. 
Clergyman. Dayton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

CONDON, R. H. Born in Maine in 1830; came west, 1854. Professor 
of music and dealer in musical instruments. 

Dayton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

CARUTHERS, J. P. Born in England in 1863 ; came to Oregon 1885. 
Salmon cannery. He will answer letters in regard to Washington 
Territory and Oregon. Astoria, Oregon. 

CARUTHERS, ROBT. Born iu Canada in 1845; came west, 1852. 
Draying and forwarding. Astoria, Oregon. 

CHURCH, W. A. Born in Oregon in 1854. Salmon fishing. 

Ilwaco, W. T. 

COMEYGES, GEO. Born in Missouri in 1838; came west, 1850. Mem- 
ber of Legislative body 1881. Oakesdale, Idaho. 

CARSTONS, PETER. Born in Denmark in 1839; came west, 1875. 
Chief boat builder and carpenter for O. R. & N. Co. Broke, now 
worth $8,000. Riparia, Columbia Co., W. T. 

30 



466 APPENDIX. 

CRELLIN, JOHN. Born on Isle of Man in 1828; came west, 1851. 
Wholesale oyster trade. San Francisco, Cal. 

CAMPBELL, WM. C. Born in Iowa in 1861 ; came west, 1871. Sash 
and door factory. Moscow, Idaho. 

CAT, W. C. Born in North Carolina in 1858; came west, 1873. Phy- 
sician and surgeon. Genesee, Idaho. 

CLINTON, J. C. Born in Astoria in 1864. Cigars, tobacco, confec- 
tionery, etc. Astoria, Oregon. 

CATLIN, ADAM. Born in Illinois in 1833 ; came west, 1848. Farmer 
Worth $30,000, made in this Territory. Served in Legislative body 
with the author of this book. Freeport, W. T. 

CORCORAN, W. F. Born in California in 1855. Fireman O. R. & N. 
R. R. Datton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

CAVANAUGH, M. A. Born in 1863; came west, 1855. Confectioner. 

Dayton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

CHURCH, GEO. E. Born in New York in 1831; came west, 1846. 
Had $2.50, now worth $3,000, made in farming, mining, etc. 

Dayton, Columbia Co., W; T. 

CLARK, C. W. Bom in Oregon in 1846. Porter. Worth $2,000. 
Knows the Author of this book, and many of the facts mentioned. 

Dayton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

COLVIN, E. J. Born in Indiana in 1832; came west, 1852. 

Ilwaco, W. T. 

CHURCH, A. B. Born in Vermont in 1830; came west, 1845. Fishing, 
farming, and milling. Ilwaco, W. T. 

CLARK, I. A. Born in New York in 1828; came west, 1852. Farming 
and oystering. Oysterville, W. T. 

CRAWFORD, FRANK. Born in Illinois in 1859; came west, 1874. 
Lumberman. Chehalis City, W. T. 

CARR, JA]VrES A. Born in Indiana in 1834; came west, 1876. Served 
two years in the W\ T. Legislature, and for twelve years Auditor of 



APPENDIX. 467 

Chehalis Co. Is a Mason. His wife, Abigail Boutwell, was the only 
daughter of Rev. E. "Walker, who was associated with Rev. Cushan 
Eels, mentioned in this book. 

HOQUIAM, CHEHAilS Co., W. T. 

CROSS, SOL. Born in Illinois in 1850; came west, 1863. Broke, now 
worth 13,000. Farmer. Dayton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

CARR, JOHN. Born in Wisconsin in 1850; came west, 1879. Master 
Columbia Lodge No. 26. Milling. 

Datton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

CURL, N. S. Born in Missouri in 1837 ; came west, 1847. Broke, now 
worth $5,000. Served through Indian war, 1855-6, under Col. J. K. 
Kelley. Dayton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

COLDERHEAD, SAM. Born in Ohio in 1855; came west, 1869. Agent 
and operator O. R. & N. Co. 

Prescott, Walla Walla Co., W. T. 

CARSTENS, Henry. Born in Illinois in 1868; came west, 1876. Oper- 
ator O. R. & N. Co. Riparia, Columbia Co., W. T. 

CARTWRIGHT, F. P. Born in Ohio in 18.54; came west, 1875. Was 
not worth a cent, now worth $1,000. After re-visiting the States, 
broke, and returned to make another stake. 

PoMEROY, Garfield Co., W. T. 

CAMPBELL, G. L. Born in Indiana in 1861; came west, 1883. Book- 
keeper and clerk. Pomeroy, Garfield Co., W. T. 

COHN, B. Born in Germany in 1851; came west, 1872. 

Pomeroy, Garfield Co., W. T. 

CRANDALL, D. Born in New York in 1849; came west, 1872. Agri- 
cultural implements, warehouses, real estate, and money loaner. 

Pomeroy, Garfield Co., W. T. 

CRUMPACKER, H. D. Born in Missouri in 1844 ; came west, 1864. 

Pataha City, Garfield Co., W. T 

CALDWELL, J. B. Born in California in 1856. Merchant. 

Waitsburg, Walla Walla Co., W. T. 



468 APPENDIX. 

CRITCHFIELD, SDIOX. Bora in Ohio in 1833; came west, 1861. 
Machinist. Owns a tine farm near the timber line of the Blue 
Mountain, on which he has raised 60 bushels of wheat per acre. 

Waitsbukg, "Walla Walla Co., W. T. 

CANTRELL, L. W. Born in Ohio in 1827; came west, 1SS.5. General 
merchandise. D.^ttox, Columbia Co., W. T. 

CRABB, JOS. N. Born in Illinois in 1830; came west, 1846. Is the 
Crabb mentioned in this book. Walla Walla, W. T. 

DAY, J. H. Born in Kansas in 1857; came west, 1859. Druggist. 

Dayton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

DAY, II. B. Born in Virginia in 1830; came west, 1850. Farmer and 
stock-raiser. Came west in debt, now worth $20,000. 

Daytox, Columbia Co., W. T. 

DAY, T. M. Born in Oregon in 1861. Brakeman O. R. & N. Co. 

EiPAKiA, Columbia Co., W. T. 

DUNLAP, DON. Born in New York in 1857; came west, 1885. Engineer 
O. R. & N. Co. RiPARiA, Columbia Co., W. T. 

DIAL, W. A. Born in Texas in 1859 ; came west, 1883. 

AValla Walla, W. T. 

DANIELS, J. H. Born in Pennsylvania in 1836; came west, 1848. 
Served in the Rogue River Indian war of 1855-56. 

Walla Walla, W. T. 

DAVIS, JOHN A. Born in Indiana in 1839 ; came west, 1863. Farmer 
and stock-raiser. Broke, now worth $25,000. 

Wall.\^ Walla, W. T. 

DAY, J. H. Born in Virginia in 1816; came west, 1863. Druggist. 
One of Walla Walla's most successful business men. 

Walla Walla, W. T. 

DOUGLASS, JAMES. Born in Indiana in 1841; came west, 1853. 
Farmer. Daytox, Columbia Co., W. T. 

DAY, W. W. Physician and .surgeon. 

Daytox, Columbia Co., W. T. 



APPENDIX. 469 

DUSTIN, G. W. Bom in Ohio in 1846; came west, 1882. Conductor 
O. K. & N. Co. Hood Rivek, Oregon. 

DARBY, W. L. Bom in Iowa in 1858; came west, 1883. Dealer in 
hardware. M. Evening Star Lodge No. 30 , W. T. 

PoMEROT, Garfield Co., W. T. 

DAVIS, CYRUS. Born in Vermont in 1827; came west, 1872. Was 
worth $5,000, now worth $10,000. Farmer and stock-raiser. 

Pataha City, Garfield Co., W. T. 

DENNEY, WIM. Born in Missouri in 1868; came west, 1872. Cow boy. 
WaitsburCi, WA1.LA Walla Co., W. T. 

DAVIS, CHAS. Born in Iowa in 1852; came west, 1852. Dealer in to- 
bacco, confectionery, notions, and fruit. W.alla Walla, W. T. 

DREWS, F. Born in Germany in 1845 ; came west, 1878. Barber. 

Dallas, Oregon. 

DONLEY, M. V. Born in Pennsylvania in 1836; came west, 1880. 
Superintendent of bridges and buildings on 0. R. & N. R. R. 

East Portland, Oregon. 

DAY, C. H. Born in Pennsylvania in 1855; came west, 1871. Phy- 
sician and surgeon. Union, Oregon. 

DAY, JESSE N. Born in Virginia in 1828; came west, 1850. Pro- 
prietor of Dayton town site. Dattox, Columbia Co., W. T. 

DOUGLASS, B. T. Born in Colorado in 1865; came west, 1876. 

Datton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

DALTON, C. C. Born in Nevada in 1850; came to W. T., 1883. Bank- 
ing. Dealer in farm implements, etc. Ilwaco, W. T. 

DENTON, J. C. Born in Indiana in 1849 ; came west, 1874. Teamster. 

Ilwaco, W. T. 

DAYMAN, V. A. Born in New York in 1832; came west, 1860. 
Carpenter. Otsterville, W. T. 

ESPEY, R. H. Born in Pennsylvania in 1826; came west, 1852. Farmer. 

Otsterville, W, T, 



470 APPENDIX. 

EVANS, R. 11. Born in Ohio in 1852; came west, 1870. Druggist. 

Aberdeen, Chehalis Co., W. T. 

ELLER, GEORGE. Born in Germany in 18-43; came west, 1868. 
Bakery. Pomeroy, Garfield Co., W. T. 

ERWIN, J. H. Born iu Canada in 1860; came west, 1872. Agent 
O. R. & N. Co. Waitsburg, Walla Walla Co., W. T. 

EVANS, I. E. Banker. Lewiston, Idaho. 

ELLIS, D. Y. Born in Kentucky in 1825; came west, 1883. 

Datton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

ESTES, O. B. Born in Missouri iu 1854; came west, 1883. Physician 
and surgeon. Health oflScer port of Astoria. 

Astoria, Oregon. 

EDWARDS, S. J. Born in Oregon in 1863. Farmer. 

Datton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

ELLIS, H. C. Born in Maryland in 1844; came west, 1862. Farmer 
and gardener. Broke, now worth $3,000. 

Datton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

EVANS, MILTON. Born in Ohio in 1833; came west, 1861. Farmer. 
Arrived with 75 cts., now worth $15,000. 

Walla Walla, W. T. 

EARL, ROBT. Born in Illinois in 1835; came west, 1845. 

Earl, Lincoln Co., W. T. 

EDMISTON, J. E. Born in Arkansas in 1849; came west, 1870. 
Member Washington Legislature. First Master Mason Columbia 
Lodge No. 26. Attorney at Law. 

Datton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

EMBREE, A. W. Born in 1839; came west, 1875. Teamster. 

Ilwaco, W. T. 

ESTERBROOK, CAPT. GEO. T. Born in Rhode Island in 1815; came 
west, 1849. Mining, bunting, and oystering. 

Ilwaco, W. T, 



APPENDIX. 471 

FISHER, ALBERT. Born in Pennsylvania in 1826; came west, 1857. 
Farmer. Ilwaco, W. T. 

FARRER, ERWIN. Born in Minnesota in 1861; came west, 1866. 
Master of steamboat. Otsterville, W. T. 

FR.VZER, CHAS. Born in New York in 1854; came west, 1869. Hotel 
and saloon keeper. Dallas, Oregon. 

FULLER, JOHN F. Born in Canada in 1859 ; came west, 1876. Laborer. 

Dayton, W. T. 

FULLER, A. M. Born in Ohio in 1842 ; came west, 1864. Farmer. 

Dayton, W. T. 

FRARY, F. G. Born in New York in 1828; came west, 1872. Man- 
ufacturing woolen goods. Dayton, "W. T. 

FRARY, SID E. Born in Indiana in 1858 ; came west, 1873. Tinner. 

Dayton, W. T. 

FRARY, A. J, Born in Indiana in 1858; came west, 1873. Clerk. 

Dayton, W. T. 

FREDENBURG, WM. Born in Missouri in 1858; came west, 1864. 
Fishing and Farming. Ilwaco, W. T. 

FULLINGER, J. C. Born in Indiana in 1828; came west, 1848. Mayor 
of Astoria. Astoria, Oregon. 

FERGUSON, F. W. Born in Oregon in 1855. Printer. Now on the 
Astorian. Astoria, Oregon. 

FOSTER, JAMES. Born in Maine in 1829; came west, 1852. Served 
in the Rogue River Indian war. Introduced the first fruit and made 
the first wine in the Walla Walla Valley. 

Walla Walla, W. T. 

FIELD, G. S. Born in Missouri in 1853; came west, 1872. Farmer. 
Broke, now worth $5,000. Dayton, W. T. 

FIELDS, S. G. Born in Ohio in 1835; came west, 1859. Farmer and 
stock-dealer. Broke, now worth $20,000. 

Walla Walla, W. T. 

FOUTS, C. M. Born in Ohio in 1849 ; came west, 1880. 

Dallas, Oregon, 



472 APPENDIX. 

FRARY, T. C. Born in Ohio iu 1840; came west, 1876. Physician anil 
surgeon. SeiTed in Legislative body in 1879. 

PoMEROY, Garfield Co., W. T. 

FITZGERALD, GEORGE. Born in Texas in 1858; came west, 1883. 
Farmer. Pataha City, Garfield Co., W. T. 

FOLGER, J. S. Born in Massachusetts in 1833; came west 1861. Miller. 

HuNTSviLLE, Columbia Co., W. T. 

FERNANDEZ, FRANK. Born on Azores Islands in 1852; came west, 
1877. Coal tender, O. R. & N. Co. 

Walla Walla Co., W. T. 

GUArU^ALT, D. B. Born in ISIissouri in 1822; came west, 1850. 
Crossed the plains twice before the railroads were built. Served in 
Indian war of 1855. Pomekoy, Garfield Co., W. T. 

GROUNDS, FRANK. Born in Oregon in 1859. Captain of steamer 
Lillian. Astoria, Oregon. 

GRANT, ALEX. Born in Massachusetts in 1858; came west, 1876. 
Saloon. Astoria, Oregon. 

GUERNSEY, D. C. Cashier Columbia National Bank. 

Dayton, W. T. 

GRANT, J. A. Born in Ohio in 1864; came west, 1875. Farmer. 
Broke, now worth $12,000. La Grande, Union Co., Oregon. 

GAMMON, JEROME. Born in Maine in 18.50; came west, 1874. Pro- 
prietor Merchants' Exchange Saloon. Pendleton, Oregon. 

GRUELL, C. L. Born in Massachusetts in 1856; came west, 1883. 
Publisher of the Colton Eagle. Colton, W. T. 

GREIF, JOSEPH. Born in Prussia in 1841; came west, 1S64. Farmer. 
Owns 730 acres of tillable land on which he raised this year (1SS7) 
60 bushels of wheat and 80 bushels of barley per acre. 

Uniontown, W. T. 

GABL, MILTON. Born in Ohio in 1848; came west, 1877. Farmer. 
Member of Legislative body of 1887. Uniontown, W, T. 



APPENDIX. 473 

GARRETT, C. C. Born in Illinois in 1840; came west, 1877. Worth 
$5,000. Dayton, W. T. 

GIBERSON, P. T. Born in Kentucky in 1833; came west, 1853. Stock- 
raiser. Worth nothing, now worth $10,000. 

Endicott, Whitman"Co., W. T. 

GEARHART, A. E. Born in Iowa in 1840; came to Oregon in 1848. 
Settled in Clatsop Co. Keeps a lodging house. Is an acquaintance 
of Col. Hunter's. Astoria, Oregon. 

GREGORY, A. J. Born in Virginia in 1833; came west, 1848. Justice 
of the Peace. Walla Walla, W. T. 

GLEIM, WM. Born in California in 1860. Brewery. Served in Nez 
Perce Indian war. Walla Walla, W. T. 

GRAY, W. P. Born in Oregon in 1845. Master of steamer Frederick 
Billings, transfer boat, Columbia River. Pasco, W. T. 

GREEN, J. M. Born in Ohio in 1851 ; came west, 1857. He indorses 
this book, and likes the western country. Dayton, W. T. 

GIBSON, A. P. Born in Tennessee in 1828 ; came west, 1872. Farmer. 
Had $6,000, now worth 10,000. Dayton, W. T. 

GANSEN, Hans. Born in Germany in 1854; came west, 1875. Fishing. 

ILWACO, W. T. 

GRAHAM, S. B. Born in Illinois in 1856; came west, 1881. Fisher- 
man. Ilwaco, W. T. 

GRABLE, CYRUS. Born in Kansas in 1863 ; came west, 1886. Fisher- 
man. Ilwaco, W. T. 

GOUDY, JOHN. Born in Ohio in 1823; came west, 1862. Walked 
from Ft. Lemhi to Walla Walla. Worth 50 cts., now in good circum- 
stances. He indorses this book. M. Lodge No. 13. 

Walla Walla, W. T. 

GILBERT, FRANK, Born in Illinois. Historian. 

Walla Walla, W. T, 



474 APPENDIX. 

GUTHERIDGE, GEORGE. Born in England in 1847; came west, 1861. 
Steward of the peuitentiarj'. Walla Walla, W. T. 

GILKERSON, THOMAS. Born in England in 1837; came west, 1860. 
Farmer. Broke, now worth $20,000. 

Walla Walla, W. T. 

GRAHAM, H. S. Born in 1854; came west, 1881. Fisherman. 

Ilwaco, W. T. 

GRAHAM, JAMES. Born in Hlinoi.s in 1849; came west, 1875. Fisher- 
man. Ilwaco, W. T. 

GRIFFITH, M. S. Born in Missouri in 1866; came west, 1884. Oy.'s- 
tering. Oystekville, W. T. 

GRISWOLD, M. S. Born in Connecticut in 1826; came west, 1853. 
Farming and stock-raising. Oysterville, W. T. 

GOLTER, JOHN P. Born in England in 1840; came west, 1865. For- 
warding and Boat Agent I. S. N. Co. Ilwaco, W. T. 

GEARHART, J. W. Born in Iowa in 1837; came west, 1848. Farming 
and stock-raising. Astoria, Oregon. 

GREINER, ELIJAH. Born in Iowa in 1863; came west, 1864. 

Dayton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

GATES, B. L. Born in Illinois in 1857 ; came west, 1860. Broke, now 
worth $1,800. Farmer. Dayton, W. T. 

GEORGE, M. Y. Born in Texas in 1855; came west, 1871. Broke, now 
worth $2,000. Waitsburg, Walla Walla Co., W. T. 

GAMMON, ROBT. Born in Iowa in 1851; came west, 1874. Farmer. 
Was worth $2.50, now worth $1,000. Served in Rebellion. 

Patajia City, Garfield Co., W. T. 

GREEN, J. M. Born in Ohio in 1851 ; came west, 1887. Indorses the 
book and likes the country. 

Datton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

GREEN, C. A. Born in Ohio in 1845 ; came west, 1883. 

Walla Walla, W. T. 



APPENDIX. 475 

GEORGE, W. A. Born in Indiana in 1819, came west, 1849. Attorney 
at law. PoMEKOY, Gakfield Co., W. T. 

GIBSON, G. D. City marshal. M. Columbia Lodge No. 26. 

PoMEROT, Garfield Co., W. T. 

GOODLAKE, J. W. Born in North Carolina in 1846; came west, 1879. 
Blacksmith. Huntsville, Columbia Co., W. T. 

GRITMAN, G. S. Bom in New York in 1836; came west, 1880. 
Farmer and stock-raiser. Ritzville, W. T. 

HOWE, W. Born in Ireland in 1854; came west, 1873. Boat builder. 

Astoria, Oregon. 

HUNTER, H. Born 'in Massachusetts in 1835; came west, 1878. He 
has felt the pulse of the author, and pronounces him a Hmiter. 

Dayton, W. T. 

HUBBELL, J. H. Born in Ohio in 1849 ; came west, 1880. Farmer. 
Was worth $5,000, now worth $10,000. Dayton, W. T. 

HAN, J. W. Born in Virginia in 1857; came west, 1879. Engineer. 

Astoria, Oregon. 

HARRIS, SAM. Born in Vermont in 1838 ; came west, 1853. Propri- 
etor White House. Astoria, Oregon. 

HUTCHEON, GEO. Born in Scotland in 1846; came west, 1880. 
Blacksmith. M. Columbia Lodge No. 36. 

Dayton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

HEXTER, M. Born in Darmstadt, Germany, in 1832 ; came west, 1854. 
Merchant. Dayton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

HALL, J. F. Born in Kentucky in 1852; came west, 1879. Milling 
and lumbering. Dayton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

HENNESS, E. Born in Iowa in 1849; came west, 1852. Merchant. 

Ilwaco, W. T. 

HARRIS, NED. Born in Ohio in 1830; came west, 1850. Wholesale 
and retail liquor dealer. Dayton, Columbia Co., W. T. 



476 APPENDIX. 

HARMON, A. M. Born in Indiana in 1857; came west, 1877. Agent 
Singer Sewing Machine Co. Daytox, Columbia Co., W. T. 

HINES, W. A. Born in North Carolina in 1835; came west, 1859. 
Farmer and stock-raiser. Came west ragged as a dog, now worth 
$8,000. Dayton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

HOLMAN, J. "W. Born in Indiana in 1841; came west, 1875. Farmer. 
Worth $2,000, now worth $8,000. 

Daytox, Columbia Co., W. T. 

HOWARD, J. A. Born in Iowa in 1854; came west, 1864. Farmer. 
Broke, now worth $1,500. Walla Walla, W. T. 

HOWELL, C. S. Born in Pennsylvania in 1851; came -west, 1880. 
Farmer. Broke, now worth $1,000. 

Waitsburg, Walla Walla Co., W. T. 

HADDABAUGH, J. C. Born in Indiana in 1851; came west, 1878. 
Carpenter. Lewiston, Idaho. 

HARMON, S. 0. Druggist. Dayton, W. T. 

HUDSON, T. A. Born in Belfast, Ireland, in 1851; came west, 1874, 
and married Ada, the eldest daughter of Gen. A. L. Lovcjoy, who 
came to Oregon in 1842 and started back to Washington with Dr. 
Whitman. When he reached Fort Hall, he met an emigration train, 
with which he returned, and settled in Oregon City. 

Dallas, Oregon. 

HA WES, E. R. Born in Maine in 1843; came west, 1870. Plumber 
and dealer in hardware, stoves, and tinware. 

Astoria, Oregon. 

HAYDEN, A. J. Born in Oregon in 1865. Merchant. 

Ilwaco, W. T. 

HEATER, J. C. Born in Georgia in 1850; came west, 1870. Salmon 
fishing. Ilwaco, W. T. 

HALL, J. R. Born in Illinois in 1846; came west, 1872. Farmer. 

Ilwaco, W. T. 

HARRIS, A, T, Born in New Tork in 1848 ; came west, 1868. Fishing. 

Ft. Canbt, Pacific Co., W. T. 



APPENDIX. 411 

HAWKINS, W. B. Born in New Zealand; came to Pacific coast, 1870. 

Ilwaco, W. T. 

HEATH, A. E. Born in Minnesota in 1830; came west, 1870. Farmer. 

Ilwaco, W. T. 

HERBERT, GEO. A. Born in Oregon in 1860. Sheriff of Wasco Co. 

Dallas, Oregon. 

HALLETT, J. L. Born in New York in 1836 ; came west, 1868. Farmer. 
Chief constructor and general manager B. O. & C. R. R. and O. C. 
R. R., andO. R. & N. R. R., and N. P. R. R. Author of "Old 
Timer " was formerly agent under him. 

HOBERT, C. C. Born in New Hampshire in 1828; came west, 1870. 
Master Mechanic at Dallas shops. Bought one copy " Old Timer " 
for Villard Library. Dallas, Oregon. 

HUNT, A. J. Born in Illinois in 1832; came west, 1849. Has mined, 
packed, taken his drinks, and is acquainted with nearly all matters 
mentioned in this book. Dallas, Oregon. 

HUNT, Z. C. Born in Tennessee in 1853 ; came M-est, 1874. Farmer. 
Broke, now worth $8,000. Dayton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

HUBBARD, J. F. Born in Virginia in 1847; came west, 186.5. Was 
not worth a cent, now worth $10,000. Farmer. 

Dayton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

HOWE, D. W. Born in Missouri in 1849. Saddler. 

PoMEROT, Garfield Co., W. T. 

HUNT, J. M. Born in Ireland in 1827; came west, 1849. Proprietor 
St. George Hotel. Served in Indian war of 1853; and again in 
Rogue River war of 1855-56. Pomeroy, Garfield Co., W. T. 

HILL, LILLIE. . Walla Walla, W. T. 

HOWARD, HARRY. Born in Walla Walla City in 1866. Printer on the 
Walla Walla Statesman. Col. F. J. Parker, publisher. 

Walla Walla, W. T. 



478 APPENDIX. 

HULL, ORLEY. Born in New York in 1823; came west, 1850. Has 
followed mining, hotel keeping, farming, and stock-raising. "Was 
worth $100, now worth $50,000. Walla Walla, W. T. 

HALL, N. P. Born in Maine in 184-1; came west, 1877. Insurance 
agent. Served in the Rebellion. Walla Walla, W. T. 

HUNSAKER, CURG. Born in Oregon in 1849. Wholesale and retail 
liquor dealer. Served as scout for Gen. Howard in 1877. 

PoMEKOY, Garfield Co., W. T. 

HARFORD, F. J. Born in California in 1860. Banker. 

Pataha City, Garfield Co., W. T. 

HART, FRANK G. Born in New York in 1832; came west, 1852. 
Horse-raiser Waitsburg, Walla Walla Co., W. T. 

HENDERSHORT, WM. Butteville, Marion Co., Oregon. 

IHRIG, GEO. Born in Germany in 1854; came west, 1873. Butcher. 

Dayton, W. T. 

IRELAND, D. C. Born in Vermont in 1836 ; came west, 1861. Ed- 
itor and publisher for twenty-five years. M. Temple Lodge No. 7. 

Astoria, Oregon. 

IBBERSON, F. Born in England in 1824; came west, 1886. Druggist. 
Waitsburg, Walla Walla Co., W. T. 

IMMEL, PETER. Born in Germany in 1847 ; came west, 1888. Car- 
penter. L'niontown, W. T. 

ISHAM, A. E. Born in Wisconsin in 1843; came west, 1870. Educated 
at Oberlin, Ohio. Admitted to the bar Aug. 6, 1886. 

Walla Walla, W. T. 

JAMES, A. J. Born in Missouri in 1832; came west, 1852. Broke, 
now worth $20,000, made at farming and stock-raising. 

Dayton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

JOHNSON, H. A. Born in Canada in 1844; came west, 1875. Farming 
and stock-raising. Broke, now worth $5,000. 

Starbuck, Colu.mbia Co., W. T. 



APPENDIX. 479 

JOHNSON, OLIVER. Born iu Minnesota in 1866; came west, 1875. 
Farmer. Dayton, W. T. 

JESSUP, F. H. Born in Indiana in 1848; came west, 1878. Post- 
master. Waitsburg, Walla Walla Co., W. T. 

JESSEE, J. W. Clerk of District Court. Dayton, W. T. 

JACKSON, E. H. Born in England in 1852; came west, 1867. 

Astoria, Oregon. 

JOHNSON, MARTIN. Bom in Sweden in 1860; came west, 1882. 
Painter. Astoria, Oregon. 

JOHNSON, JAMES J. Born in Oregon in 1846. Master of a vessel. 

Oysterville, W. T. 

JOHNSON, J. C. Born in Denmark in 1839 ; came west, 1886. Farmer. 
Dealer in hides and furs. Oysterville, W. T. 

JONES, I. S. Born in Pennsylvania in 1833; came west, 1852. Gen- 
eral merchandise. Oysterville, W. T. 

JENKINS, ROBT. Born in Missouri in 1848. Ship carpenter. 

Ilwaco, W. T. 

JONES, WM. E. Born in Indiana in 1858; came west, 1876. Engineer 
O. R. & N. R. R. Dayton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

JEWETT, FRANK. Born in Iowa in 1843; came west, 1847. Salmon 
fishing. Ilwaco, W. T. 

JOHNSON, J. H. Born in Sweden in 1879 ; came west, 1865. Fishing. 

Ilwaco, W. T. 

JOHNSON, PETER. ^ Born in Denmark in 1837; came west, 1857. 
Fishing. Ilwaco, W. T. 

JEROME, F. E. Born in England in 1852 ; came west, 1875. Livery- 
man. Lewiston, Idaho. 

JACOBS, MATH. Born in Minnesota in 1865; came west, 1884. Clerk. 

Uniontown, W. T, 



480 APPENDIX. 

JACOBS, PETER. Born in Minnesota in 1S58; came west, 1870. 
Brewer. Unioxtowx, W. T. 

JONES, C. H. Born in England in 1S43; came west, 1850. Butcher. 

Moscow, Idaho. 

JONAS, MILT. Born in Illinois in 1830; came west, 1852. Farmer 
and stock-raiser. Owns 640 acres of land and many good horses. 
Waitsburg, Walla Walla Co., W. T. 

JOHNSON, H. E. Born in Massachusetts in 1841; came west, 1861. 
Hardware dealer. Commenced business broke, now independent. 

Walla Walla, W. T. 

JASAPHEEN, MISS. Walla Walla, W. T. 

JOHNSON, SAMUEL. Born in Ohio in 1821 ; came west, 1850. Sei-ved 
with Col. Kelley through Indian war of 1855-56. Broke, now worth 
$25,000. Wajlla Walla, W. T. 

JOHNSON, TOM. Born in Canada in 1836; came west, 1879. U. S. 
Life Saving Service. North Cove, AV. T. 

JOHNSON, MRS. LUCY. Born in Missouri in 1849; came west, 1852. 
Merchant. North Cove, W. T. 

JASPER, W. Born in Kentucky in 1834; came west, 1854. Farmer. 

Dayton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

JOHNSON, AMBROSE. Born in Illinois in 1S24; came west, 1862. 
Farmer. Arrived with $100, now worth $20,000. 

Dattox, Columbia Co., W. T. 

KNIFOUY, J. W. Born in Missouri in 1850; came west, 1865. Saloon. 

Moscow, Idaho. 

KUTKENDALL, LUKE. Born in Virginia in 1848; came west, 1868. 
Carpenter. North Povvtder, Oregon. 

KING, A. E. Born in England in 1857; came west, 1877. 

Ilwaco, W. T. 

KINNEY, AUG. C. Born in Iowa in 1845; came west, 1847. Phy- 
sician and surgeon. Is acquainted with Col. Hunter, and indorses 
the book. Astoria, Oregon. 



APPENDIX. 4Sl 

KAY, a. J. Born in Vermont in 1826; came west, 1859. Painter. 
Has linown the author of this book for twentj'-flve years. 

"^"ai>la Walla, W. T. 

KELLING, D. Born in Germany in 1831 ; came west, 1853. Proprietor 
of Stine House and Palace saloon. Walla Walla, W. T. 

KENNEDY, ROBT. Born in Indiana in 1830; came west, 1852. Farmer 
and stock-raiser. Was worth $1,000, now worth $75,000. Served in 
Rogue River Indian war. Walla Walla, W. T. 

KANALEY, JOHN. Born in New York in 1852; came west, 1870. 
Hotel. Moscow, Idaho. 

KNEFF, ALFRED. Born in Ohio in 1829 ; came west, 1852. Nursery- 
man. Had *50, now worth $3,500. 

Dayton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

KINNEY, ALFRED, INI. D. Born in Oregon in 1850. Master Mason. 

Astoria, Oregon. 

KINDRED, ED. Born in Oregon in 1867. Farmer. 

Ilwaco, W. T. 

KERR, GEO. Born in Indiana in 1850; came west, 1863. 

Ilwaco, W. T. 

KEITS, J. H. Born in Maine in 1855; came west, i878. Saloon-keeper. 

Aberdeen, Chehalis Co., W. T. 

KOHN, CHAS., & CO. Liquor dealers. Portland, Oregon. 

KNAGGS, L. C Born in Oregon. Purser O. R. «fe N. Co.'s steamboat. 

Lewiston, Nez Perces Co., Idaho. 

KIRBY, N. A. Born in Indiana in 1852; came west, 1872. Farmer. 

HuNTSviLLE, Columbia Co., W. T. 

KERLEE, NANCY. Born in Missouri in 1849; came west, 1869. Hotel 
keeping. Ilwaco, W. T. 

KING, W, H. Born in England in 1866; came west, 1876. 

HoQuiAM, Cheh^vlis Co., W. T. 



482 APPENDIX. 

KEYON, PAT. Bom in New Jersey in 1859 ; came west, 1880. Brake- 
man O. R. & N. Co. Walla Walla, AV. T. 

KIDT\^LL, JAMES. Born in Illinois in 1837; came west, 1863. 
Farmer and stock-raiser. Arrived SlOO worse off than nothing, now 
worth $2,000. Walla Walla, W. T. 

LINDSEY, W. J. Born in Kentucky in 1822 ; came west, 1848. Served 
in the Mexican war. Broke, now has a good farm. 

DaTTOX, COLUMBL4. Co., W. T. 

LISTER, W. L. Born in Oregon in 1861. Editor and proprietor of the 
East Washiugtonian. Pomeroy, Garfield Co., W. T. 

LEE CASSOLL. Born in Indiana in 1863 ; came west, 1885. Farmer. 

Pomeroy, Garfield Co., W. T. 

LONDAGIN, W. J. Born in Arkansas in 1857; came west, 1860. 
Grocer. Waitsburg, Walla Walla Co., W. T. 

LANGFORD, W. G. Born in Ohio in 1833; came west, 1850. Judge 
of the first judicial district. Associate justice supreme court. Served 
in Burnt River Indian war. Walla Walla, W. T. 

LOWDEN, F. M. Born in Kentucky in 1839; came west, 1849. Farmer 
and stock-raiser. Introduced short-horn Durham cattle into the Ter- 
ritory. Broke, now worth $50,000. 

Walla AValla, W. T. 

LAMAN, J. D. Born in Ohio in 1830; came west, 1852. Justice of the 
Peace for fifteen years. Has known Col. Hunter for twenty-five years. 

Walla Walla, W. T. 

LOWE, GEO. Born in Washington Territory in 1866. Stock-man. 

RiTZViLLE, Adams Co., W. T. 

LE CLAIRE, MISS EVA. Walla Walla, W. T. 

LUNDERS, HLTBERT. Born in Canada in 1832; came west, 1857. 
Blacksmith. Has pounded iron with the author of this book and his 
father. Walla Walla, W. T. 



APPENDIX. 483 

LAIR, FRANCIS F. Bora in Pennsylvania in 1S33; came west, 1853. 
Surveyor knd farmer. Was worth $.5, now worth $10,000. Has 
burned out twice. Walla Walla, W. T. 

LAWNSBERRY, G. W. Born in Massachusetts in 1852; came west, 
1878. Clerk O. R. & N. Co. M. M. Secretary Temple Lodge No. 7. 

Astoria, Oregon. 

LEWIS, W. Born in New York in 1833 ; came west, 1856. Engineer. 

Portland, Oregon. 

LYON, L. B. Born in New York in 1818; came west, 1871. Carpenter. 
Was acquainted with Col. Hunter when he was a boy. 

Ilwaco, W. T. 

LONG, JAMES H. Born in Illinois in 1842; came west, 1886. Gen- 
eral merchandise. M. Columbia Lodge No. 26 . 

Dayton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

LOGAN, O. B. Born in Illinois in 1839 , came west, 1859. Clerk, gen- 
eral merchandise. Dayton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

LEARN, M. M, Born in Canada 1829; came west, 1850. Livery, feed, 
and sale stable. M. Columbia Lodge No. 26. 

Dayton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

LOCKWOOD, J. F. Born in Canada in 1852; came west, 1867. 
Farmer and stock-raiser. Broke, now worth $30,000. 

Dayton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

LYNCH, J. Born in Ohio in 1852; came west, 1876. Broke, now 
worth $10,000. Pomeroy, Garfield Co., W. T. 

LEWELLYN, D. Born in Pennsylvania in 1849; came west, 1870. 
Hotel. Colfax, W. T. 

LOVE, ED. Born in Iowa in 1856; came west, 1878. Farmer. 

Asotin, W. T. 

LEELAND, A. Publisher of Lewiston Teller. Lewiston, Idaho. 

LINGENFETER, WM. E. Born in Missouri in 1830 ; came west, 1851. 
Served in the same regiment with Col. Hunter in 1855-56. 

Ilwaco, W. T. 



484 APPENDIX. 

LOOMIS, S. A. Born in New York in 1830; came west, 1852. Served 
in Indian war 1855. Farnaing, merchandising, and steamboat line. 

Ilwaco, W. T. 

LEWIS, C. H. Came to Oregon, 1851. Wholesale dealer and commis- 
sion merchant. Portland, Oregox. 

LANGDON, S. J. Born in Ohio in 1829; came west, 1877. Present 
sheriff of Nez Perces Co. Lewistox, Idaho. 

LIEUALLEN BROS. Missouri. Confectionery. 

Moscow, Idauo. 

LIVERMORE, T. Born in Ohio in 1835; came west, 1851. A mem- 
ber of the firm of Lee Moorhouse & Co. Was the first mayor of Pen- 
dleton. Pendletox, Oregon. 

LLOYD, CHAS. Born in Washington Territory in 1866. Farmer. 

Waitsburg, Walla Walla Co., W. T. 

LLOYD, A. G. Born iu Missouri in 1836; came west, 1845. Farmer 
and stock-raiser. Owns 1080 acres of land, averaged 35 bushels of 
wheat per acre. Served iu Legislature. 

Waitsburg, Walla Walla Co., W. T. 

LEACH, WILLIAM. Born in New York in 1827; came west, 1853. 
Hop growing. The first and only hop farm in Columbia Co. 

Datton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

LITHGOW, JOHN. Born in New York in 1846; came west, 1857. 

Walla Walla, W. T. 

LONG, J. II. Born in Ohio in 1845; came west, 1864. Farmer, miller, 
and cheese-maker. Broke, now worth $25,000. Served in the coun- 
cil of the Territory in 1881, with the author of this book, and in the 
Lower House in 1877. Chehalis, Lewis Co., W. T. 

LINVILLE, THOS. II. Born in Missouri in 1861; came west, 1875. 
Police officer. Astoria, Oregon. 

MORGAN, F. M. Born iu Missouri in 1842; came west, 1874. Minister 
of the Christian Church for fifteen years. 

RiTzviLLE, Adams Co., W. T. 



APPENDIX. 485 

MONTGOMERY, H. A. Born in Missouri in 1845; came west, 1849. 
Farmer. Came broke, uow worth $5,000. Dayton, W. T. 

MATZGER, CHAS. M. Born in Oregon in 1858. Dealer in stock. 
Worth $2,500. Dayton, W. T. 

MULTNER, FRED. Born in California in 1863. Operator O. R. & 
N. Co. Starbuck, Columbia Co., W. T. 

MOREHEAD, J. A. Born in Ohio in 1859; came west, 1881. Post- 
master. Oysterville, Oregon. 

MCKAY, L. C. Born in New York in 1836; came west, 1879. U. S. 
Life-Saving Service. North Cove, W T. 

MYERS, J. S. Born in Virginia in 1822; came west, 1850. Merchant. 

Aberdeen, Chehaxis Co., W. T. 

MCGUIRE, JOHN. Born in Illinois in 1847; came west, 1877. Con- 
ductor O. R. & N. Co. Portland, Oregon. 

MARKHAM, DAN. Born in Ohio in 1839 ; came west, 1879. Fisher- 
man. Ilwaco, W. T. 

MC LEAN, A. Born in Scotland in 1859 ; came west, 1882. Fisherman. 

Ilwaco, W. T. 

MARKHAM, W. J. Born in Kansas in 1872 • came west, 1872. Team- 
ster. Ilwaco, W. T. 

MARDEN, FRED. Born in Maine in 1868; came west, 1883. 

Ft. Canby, W. T. 

MOREHEAD, J. C. Born in Ohio in 1865; came west, 1885. Farmer. 

Oysterville, W. T. 

MC CAL, F. Born in Scotland in 1845 ; came west, 1852. Farmer 
and teamster. Worth $10,000, made in thi.s country. 

W^iLLA AValla, W. T. 

MOREHOUSE, D. S. Born in Ohio in 1839 ; came west, 1861. Farmer 
" and stock-raiser. Worth $50,000. Walla Walla, W. T. 



486 APPENDIX. 

MORRIS, J. B. Bom in Missouri; came west, 1875. Physician and 
surgeon. Is the physician mentioned in this book. 

MAHUNDRO, C. E. Born in Texas in 1836; came west, 1882. Farmer. 

Daytox, Columbia Co., W. T. 

MILLER, G. W. Born in Indiana in 1830; came west, 18.51. Dead 
broke, now worth $25,000. Farming and stock-raising. 

Dattox, Columbia Co., W. T. 

MAX^YELL, \V. A. Born in Illinois in 1854; came west, 1877. Farmer. 

Alto, Columbia Co., W. T. 

MOHUNDRO, C. E. Born in Tennessee in 1836; came west, 1882. 
Farmer. Dayton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

MC TAVISH, DUNCAN. Born in Scotland in 1843; came west, 1860. 
Drayiug and forwarding. Astoria, Oregon. 

MORRIS, J. B. Born in Kentucky in 1836; came west, 1852. Came a 
portion of the way across the jilains with Col. Hunter. Mined near 
him at Yreka. Is knowing to most of the circumstances mentioned in 
this book. Daytox, Columbia Co., W. T. 

MC CLUNG, H. Born in Oregon in 1846. Butcher. 

Walla Walla, W. T. 

MORSE, FRANK B. Born in New York in 1846; came west, 1868. 
Guard at the penitentiary. Served in the Bannock Indian war of 
1878. Walla Walla, W. T. 

MILLER, SAM A. Born in California in 1866. Nurseryman and fruit 
raiser. He regards this as a No. 1 fruit country. 

Milton, Umatilla Co., Oregon. 

MUNSON, F. S. Born in Washington Territory in 1860. Engineer 
steamer Tonquin. Astoria, Oregon. 

MORGAN, CAPT. JOHN S. Born iu New York in 1828; came west, 
1849. Oyster House. Wholesale dealer. Has known the author 
of this book for thirty-five years. San Francisco, Cal. 



APPENDIX. 487 

MACK, O. E. Born in Illinois in 1848; came west, 1853. Farmer. Is 
wortli $10,000. An old friend of the author's. 

COVELLO, W. T. 

MC CABE, JOHN. Born in Ireland in 1854; came west, 1873. Served 
n Nez Perce and Bannock Indian wars. 

Walla Walla, W. T. 

MC LEAN, M. Born in Canada in 1S55 ; came west, 1887. Dealer in 
groceries, grain, etc. Walla Walla, W. T. 

MORGAN, M. E. Born in Iowa in 1853; came west, 1863. Dairyman. 
Served in the Nez Perce war under Capt. Hunter of the Dayton Vols. 

Walla Walla, W. T. 

MAIER, CHRIS. Came to Walla Walla Valley in 1859. Had an old 
wagon and a span of horses, now worth $125,000, made at farming 
and stock-raising. Walla Walla, W. T. 

MILLER, F. C. Merchant. Daytox, W. T. 

MOORHOUSE, LEE. Born in Iowa in 1850 ; came west, 1861. General 
merchandise. Has fed threshing machine with the author of " Old 
Timer." Ex-mayor of Pendleton, Oregon. 

Pendleton, Oregon. 

MOSIER, C. A. Born in Iowa. Dallas, Okegon. 

MC CONVILLE, ED. Is acquainted with Col. Hunter, and was with him 
in the Nez Perec war. Is the Col. McConville mentioned in this 
book. Lewiston, Idaho. 

MAULI, MARTIN. Born in Switzerland in 1842; came west, 1855. 
Hotel. During the Nez Perce war the Indians killed two hundred 
and thirty-three cattle and sixty hogs belonging to him. He received 
no pay from the Government for this. 

Uniontown, W. T. 

MONROE, R. J. Born in Florida in 1839; came west, 1852. Real 
estate. Was at four days' battle of Walla Walla. 

Lewiston, Idaho. 



488 APPENDIX. 

MASSAM, E. H. Born in Canada in 1837; came west, 1858. Wagon- 
maker. Walla Walla, W. T. 

MC KAY, MARCH. Born in Washington Territory in 1868. 

Walla Walla, W. T. 

MONTAGUE, J. B. Born in Kentucky in 1831; came west, 1854. 
Farmer. Walla Walla, W. T. 

MATTINGLY, GEO. L. Born in Kentucky in 1849; came west, 1871. 
Farmer. Walla Walla, W. T. 

MATZGER, GEO. N. Born in Oregon in 1853. Reporter for Dayton 
Inlander. Datton, W. T. 

MOODY, W. L. Born in Oregon in 1853. Stock-raiser. 

Pampa, Whitman Co., W. T. 

MESSINGER, JOHN, JR. Born in Iowa in 1852; came west, 1862. 
Broke, now worth $9,000, made in this county at farming. 

DaYTOX, COLUMBLl Co., W. T. 

MC CLARY, C. F. Born in Vermont in 1863; came west, 1855. Liquor 
dealer. Daytox, Columbia Co., W. T. 

MC INTOSH, P. W. Born in Canada in 1854; came west, 1877. Agent 
0. R. & N. Co. Stabbuck, Columbia Co., W. T. 

MC CUNE, MICHAEL. Born in Indiana in 1851; came wc.«t, 1878. 
Farmer. M. belonging to Walkcrton Lodge No. 356, Indiana. 

Harrington, Lincoln Co., W. T. 

MOORE, M. Born in Indiana in 1843; came west, 1859. Farmer. 

Pampa, Whitman Co., W. T. 

MURPHY, J. A. Born in Delaware in 1841; came west, 1877. Farmer. 

Dayton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

MAY, TITOS. M. Born in Pennsylvania in 1843; came west, 1855. 
Farmer. Dayton, W. T. 



APFEKDIX. 489 

MC MORRIS, J. E. Born in Ohio in 1839; came west, 1869. Carpenter. 

Dayton, Columbi.v Co., W. T. 

MURCH, H. G. Born in Oregon in 1853. Lumberman. M. Columbia 
Lodge No. 26. Dayton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

MC ELWAIN, W. H. Born in New York in 1860; came west, 1880. 
Was $40 worse off than nothing, now worth $3,000. Farmer and 
stoclc-dealer. Starbuck, Columbia Co., W. T. 

MOORE, C. A. Born in Oregon in 1860. Saloonist. 

PoMEROT, Garfield Co., W. T. 

MC CABE, C. A. Born in Ireland in 1837; came west, 1864. Post- 
master. PoMEROY, Garfield Co., W. T. 

MC MORRIS, L. Born in Ohio in 1831 ; came west, 1852. Served in 
Indian war of 1855-56. Walla Walla, W. T. 

MULLIGAN, JAMES. Born in England in 1838; came west, 1842. 
Engineer O. R. & N. Co. Dalla.s, Oregon. 

MAETZ, H. Born in Germany in 1847; came west, 1875. Saloonist. 

Dallas, Oregon. 

MUSTARD,' JOHN. Born in Virginia in 1835; came west, 1854. Has 
charge of count}' jail. Dayton, W. T. 

MC CAULEY, S. M. Born in Kentucky in 1822; came west, 1848. Is 
worth $3,000. Farmer and stock-dealer. M. Columbia Lodge 
No. 26. Dayton, W. T. 

NELSON, JOHN. Born in Sweden in 1851; came west, 1881. Assis- 
tant road-master O. R. & N. Co. Walla Walla, W. T. 

NOYES, E. H. Born in Maine in 1855; came west, 1870. Agent O. R. 
& N. Co. Astoria, Oregon. 

NORRIS, J. W. Born in Illinois in 1859; came west, 1877. Collector. 

Dayton, Columbia Co., W. T, 



490 APPENDIX. 

NEWLAND, R. G. Born in Virginia in 1823; came west, 1861. Broke, 
now worth $20,000. Served two terms in Legislative body. Speaker 
of the House in 1877. Dayton, W. T. 

NILSSON, A. N., JR. Born in Sweden in 1861; came west, 1883. 
Farmer. M. Columbia Lodge No. 26. Dayton, "W. T. 

NEWELL, F. W. Born in Massachusetts in 1852; came west, 1869. 
Clerk O. R. & N. Co. M. M. Temple Lodge No. 7. 

Astoria, Oregon. 

NELSON, H. C. Born in California in 1862, Master of steamboat. 

Oysterville, W. T. 

NORDLEN, ALFRED. Born in Finland in 1859; came west, 1880. 
Boatswain U. S. surveying steamer, 2Ic Carth. 

NAUGHTON, DAVID. Born in Nova Scotia in 1852; came west, 1876. 
Saloon-keeper. Hoquian, Cheh.u.is Co., W. T. 

O'CONNOR, JAMES. Born in Ireland in 1848; came west, 1872. 
Black.^mith. Broke, now worth !?2,000. 

PoMEROY, Garfield Co., W. T. 

OWSLEY, A. A. Born in Missouri in 1841 ; came west, 1861. Farmer 
and stock-raiser. Was worth 25cts., now worth $30,000. 

PoMEROY, Garfield Co., W. T. 

O'DONNELL, W. Born in Ireland in 1836; came west, 1861. Hard- 
ware. Walla Walla, W. T. 

O'KEEFE, J. Born in Missouri in 1852; came west, 1872. Warehouse. 

Asotin, W. T. 

OPPENHEIMER, A. Born in Yreka, California. Hardware merchant. 

Dayton, W. T. 

OSBURN, KLEBE. Born in Pennsylvania in 1852; came west, 1864. 
Merchant and farmer. Ilwaco, W. T. 

OLSEN, ANDREW. Born in Norway in 1834; came west, 1859. Farmer. 

Oysterville, W. T. 



APPENDIX. 491 

OSBURN, T. F, Born in England in 1S4S; came west, 1871. Farmer. 

Oystervllle, W. T. 

PIERCE, EDWARD C. Born in Iowa in 1862; came west, 1868. Livery 
stable. Milton, Umatilla Co., Oregon. 

PETTYJOHN, D. B. Born in Ohio in 1834; came west, 1875. Farmer. 

Asotin, W. T. 

PRESCOTT, D. S. Born in Ohio in 1841 ; came west, 1877. Farmer. 

Theon, W. T. 

PEAPCY, E. Born in Vermont in 1833 ; came west, 1852. Ferryman 
on Snake River. Lewiston, Idaho. 

PUFFER, A. J. Born in New York in 1836; came west, 1878. Hotel 
keeper and farmer. Was worth $3,500, and has stood the country 
off. Prescott, Walla Walla Co., W. T. 

PARKER, W. S. Born in Kentucky in 1852; came west, 1863. Livery 
business. Pomerot, Garfield Co., W. T. 

PATTERSON, GEO. W. Born in Oregon in 1855. Farmer. Worth 
$15,000. Asotin, W. T. 

PRESTON, P. A. Born in New York in 1837; came west, 1862. Flour 
mills. Member of Legislature of 1887. Broke, now worth $40,000. 
Waitsburg, Walla Walla Co., W. T. 

POMEROY, J. M. Born in Ohio in 1830 ; came west, 1852. Farming 
and stock. Would have been rich but for acting the fool. 
Justice of the Peace and city proprietor. 

PoMEROY, Garfield Co., W. T. 

POYNEER, D. H. Born in Massachusetts in 1835; came west, 1882. 
Served three years in the Rebellion. Physician and surgeon. 

Pataha City, Garfield Co., W. T. 

PREST, ^\T:LLIAM. Born in New York in 1850; came west, 1884. 

Dayton, Columbia Co., W. T. 



492 APPENDIX. 

PAGE, J. F. Bom in Illinois in 1855; came west, 1884. Phj-sician and 
surgeon. Astoria, Oregon. 

PAYNE, D. L. Born in Missouri in 1845; came west, 1847. Farmer. 
Worth $10,000. Knows most of the facts related in this book. 

Dayton, W. T. 

PAYNE, C. H. Born in Arkansas in 1852; came west, 1869, Was 
in Gen. Howard's command in the Nez Perce war. 

Lewiston, Idauo. 

PETERSON, CAPT. J. H. Born in Denmark in 1840; came west, 1858. 
Master of the three-masted schooner Compeer, running in the lumber 
trade between San Francisco and Shoalwater Bay. 

POLAND, HARRY. Proprietor Senate saloon. 

Walla Walla, W. T. 

PRIDO, E. Born in Wisconsin in 1850; came west, 1871. Conductor 
O. R. & N. R. R. Dayton, W. T. 

PETTYJOHN, J. Born in Ohio in 1827 ; came west, 1850. Broke, now 
worth $30,000. Farmer and stock-raiser. 

Prescott, Walla Walla Co., W. T. 

PEARSON, J. S. Born in Illinois in 1840; came west, 1853. Broke, 
now worth $5,000. Stakbuck, Columbia Co., W. T. 

POTTER, W. C. Born in New York in 1835; came west, 1876. Farmer 

and lawyer. Was chief clerk Legislative body 1879. Was worth 

$1,000, now worth $25,000. 

PoMEROY, Garfield Co., W. 

PEASE, ARCHIE. Captain steamboat. 

Oregon City, Oregon. 

PIKE, F. E. Born in Oregon in 1862. 

Ilwaco, W. T. 

PREST, J. Born in Denmark ; came west, 1873. Farming and fishing. 

Ilwaco, W. T. 



APPBI^DIX. 493 

PEARSON, M. L. Born in Indiana in 1850; came west, 1884. Phy- 
sician and surgeon Aberdeen, Chehalis Co., W. T. 

PETERSON, O. J. Born in Sweden in 1859 ; came west, 1880. Hotel 
and deep-sea fishing off Columbia bar. Astoria, Oregon. 

PUNDT, FRED. Born in Germany in 1836; came west, 1854. Liquor 
dealer. Dallas, Oregon. 

PING, E. Born in Kentuclcy in 1819; came west, 1853. Farmer. 

Dayton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

PERKINS, W. H. Born in Indiana in 1840; came west, 1883. City 
marshal. Dayton, W. T. 

PAINE, FRANK W. Born in Maine in 1839; came west, 1860. 
Farmer. Worth 50 cts., now worth $50,000. 

Walla Walla, W. T. 

PAINE, JOHN G. Born in Maine in 1842; came west, 1864. Hired 
out to the author of this book as bell-boy for a pack train. Is now 
well off. Walla Walla, W. T. 

PALMER, E. B. Born in Illinois in 1859; came west, 1864. Printer 
on the Walla Walla Statesman. Is knowing to all the facts relating to 
Walla Walla Valley contained in this book. 

Walla Walla, W. T. 

PUTNAM, GEO. Born in California in 1860. Clerk. 

Walla Walla, W. T. 

PETTIJOHN, AMOS. Born in Oregon in 1856. Stockman. Worth 
$3,000 made in the Walla Walla Valley. 

Prescott, Walla Walla Co., W. T. 

PAYNE, J. D. Born in Oregon in 1850. Farmer. He indorses the 
country. Dayton, W. T. 

PARKER, HOLLON. Born in New York in 1832; came west, 1852. Is 
farming several thousand acres of land, wheat yielding 30 to 40 
bushels per acre. Walla Walla, W. T. 



494 APPENDIX. 

PRINGLE, 11. N. Bom in Illinois in 1848; came west, 1873. Ma- 
chinist. Dayton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

PAUL, GABRIEL. Born in Indiana in 1840; came west, 1862. Farmer. 
Had two yoke of cattle and one cow, now worth $3,000. 

Waitsbukg, Walla Walla Co., W. T. 

PAUL, J. P. Born in Ohio in 1828; came west, 1853. Farming and 
stock-raising. Otstekville, W. T. 

PETERSON, FRANK M. Born in Oregon in 1855. Hotel keeper. 

North Cove, W. T. 

QUINN, THOS. Born in Canada W^est in 1842; came west, 1863. Har- 
ness and saddle dealer. Has made a fortune. 

Walla Walla, W. T. 

QUACKENBUSH, A. Born in New York in 1846; came west, 1879. 
Attorney at Law. Lewiston, Idaho. 

RINGER, L. M. Born in Virginia in 1834; came west, 1870. Dealer 
in general merchandise and M'heat. M. Lodge No. 157, Bloomfield, 
Mo. Served twice in the House of Representatives and once in the 
Council of Washington Territory. 

RANCH, E. M. Born in Ohio in 1861; came west, 1881. Real estate, 
insurance, loan, and collecting agent. 

PoMEROT, Garfield Co., W. T. 

REHORN, JOHN. Born in Germany in 1846; came west, 1866. Brewer. 

Pomerot, Garfield Co., W. T. 

ROMINE, THOS. Born in Illinois in 1855; came west, 1860. Broke, 
now worth $2,500. Farmer. 

Prescott, Walla Walla Co., W. T. 

RICHMOND, FRANK. Born in Michigan in 1854; came west, 1875. 
Farmer. Prescott, Walla Walla Co., W. T. 

ROOT, FRANK F. Born in Ohio in 1860; came west, 1881. Agent 
0. R. & N. Co. Riparia, Columbia Co., W T. 



APPENDIX. 495 

RICK, li'RED. Born in Germany in 1850; came west, 1878. Watchman 
0. R. & N. Co. RiPARiA, Columbia Co., W. T. 

ROSE, CHARLEY. 13orn in Germany in 1839 ; came west, 1853. Whole- 
sale liquor dealer and owner of houses. 

Walla Walla, W. T. 

ROBINSON, T. J. Born in Kentucky in 1833; came west, 1854. City 
marshal. Walla Walla, W. T. 

REES, R. R. Born in Ohio in 1833; came west, 1854. General mer- 
chandise. SeiTcd in Legislative body in 1866 and 1881. 

Walla Walla, W. T. 

ROMAINE, W. B. Born in Wisconsin in 1853; came west, 1875. 
Farmer. Broke, now worth $3,000. 

Dayton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

REED, E. S. Born in Canada in 1838; came west, 1845. Served 
through Rebellion and Mexican war. 

Aberdeen, Chehalis Co., W. T. 

ROYSDON, JOHN. Born in Iowa in 1864; came west, 1885. Printer. 

Dayton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

ROBERTSON, CHAS. Born in Canada in 1840; came west, 1875. 
Lumbering. Dayton, W. T. 

RIGGS, M. Born in 1848; came west, 1870. General merchandise clerk. 
M. Columbia Lodge No. 36. Dayton, W. T. 

ROCKHILL, A. Born in Ohio in 1834; came west, 1863. Farmer 
and raiser of fruit and stock, and liquor dealer. Was worth $300, 
now worth $15,000. Dayton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

REED, A. Born in Maine in 1841 ; came west, 1835. Farmer and ship 
carpenter. Woodward's Landing, Pacific Co., W. T. 

RODWAY, D. A. Born in England in 1849; came west, 1871. Tem- 
perance billiard haU. Oysterville, W. T. 



496 AppEmri. 

RUFFENER, M. J. Born in Missouri in 1849; came west, 1852. Hotel 
keeper. Oystekville, W. T. 

ROWLEY, E. A. Born in Illinois in 1855 ; came west, 1873. Tinner. 

Lewiston, Idaho. 

RHODES, L. M. Born in Oregon in 1851. Was in the Indian war of 
1866, in Walker's command. Ojstering at Shoalwater Bay. 

Bat Center, Pacific Co., W. T. 

ROFF, F. Born in Maryland in 1S18; came west, 1864. Farmer. 
Broke, now worth $10,000. Walla Walla, W. T. 

RIDDOCK, GEO. Born in Scotland in 1840; came west, 1875. Stock- 
raiser. Was worth $500, now worth $3,000. 

Pataha City, Garfield Co., W. T. 

RYAN, M. Born in Canada in 1853; came west, 1865. Chemist and 
druggist. Now worth $5,000 made here. 

Walla W.\lla, W. T. 

ROBINSON, J. W. Born in England in 1855; came west, 1872. Harness 
shop. Lewiston, Id.a.ho. 

ROMAINE, GARRETT. Born in New York in 1829; came west, 1871. 
Farmer. County assessor of Columbia Co. 

Dayton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

RUMPF, PETER. Born in Prussia in 1843; came west, 1867 Beer and 
soda works. Dayton, W. T. 

RUTHERFORD, J K. Born in Tennessee in 1850; came west, 1878. 
Attorney at Law. Davton, W. T. 

ROTH, A. Born in Hungary in 1856; came west, 1878. Dealer in 
gents' furnishing goods. Day'ton, W. T. 

SHAW, JAMES. Born in Illinois in 1824; came west, 1852. Served 
under Col. Cornelius in the Indian war of 1855-56. Is conversant 
with matters contained in this book. 

Milton, Umatilla Co., Oregon. 



APPENDIX. 497 

STIFFEL, AL. Born in Pennsylvania in 1856 ; came west, 1875. Sheriff 
of Asotin Co. Asotin, W. T. 

SIMPSON, W. A. Born in IlUnois in 1852; came west, 1884. Barber. 

Lewiston, Idaho. 

STANTON, H. W. Born in England in 1830; came west, 1871. Phy- 
sician and surgeon. Lewiston, Idaho. 

SARGENT, L. Born in Indiana in 1829 ; came west, 1882. Hotel keeper. 

Aberdeen, Chehalis Co., W. T. 

SMITH, S. E., & Co. Born in New York in 1846; came west, 1883. 
Merchant. Aberdeen, Chehalis Co., W. T. 

SHEA, R. Born in Michigan in 1855; came west, 1873. Lumberman. 

HoQuiAN, Chehalis Co., W. T. 

SHAW, W. S. Born in Missouri in 1847; came west, 1861. Farmer. 

Dayton, W. T. 

STEWART, CHAS. D. Born in Washington Territory in 1860. Life-Sav- 
ing Station at Cape Disappointment. 

SHAGREN, CHAS. Born in Sweden in 1851 ; came west, 1872. Boat 
builder and farmer. Otsterville, W. T. 

SEEN, ANDREW. Born in New Brunswick in 1850 ; came west, 1879. 
Master of steamboat. Otsterville, W. T. 

STOTT, O. H. Born in Indiana in 1845; came west, 1851. Farmer and 
stock-raiser. Otsterville, W. T. 

SWEENEY, SAMUEL. Born in New York in 1828; came west, 1849. 
Served through the Mexican war. Ilwaco, W. T. 

SOUL, E. A. Born in Maine in 1848; came west, 1853. Carpenter. 

Ilwaco, W. T. 

STONE, E. B. Born in Kentucky in 1833; came west, 1849. Physician 
and surgeon. Was in Indian war of 1855. Is acquainted with Col. 
Hunter. Ilwaco, W. T. 

SHUBLE, C. H. Born in Germany in 1862; came west, 1870. 

Ilwaco, W. T. 



498 APPENDIX. 

SWEZEA, SMITH W. Born in Missouri in 1852; came west, 1859. 
Farmer and stock-raiser. "Worth $10,000. 

Walla Walla, W. T. 

STEPHENS, WM. Born in New York in 1813; came west, 1847. Is 
conversant with Indian wars of Oregon and Washington Territory. 

Walla Walla, W. T. 

STURN, CHRIS. Born in Germany in 1834; came west, 1857. Farmer. 
Was worth 10 cts., now worth $10,000. 

Walla Walla, W. T. 

SMITH, R. M. Ex-editor of Walla Walla Union of Walla WaUa City. 

Pat AHA City, Gabfield Co., W. T. 

STUBBLEFIELD, I. S. Born in Arkansas in 1823; came west, 1860. 
Farmer and stock-raiser. Broke, now worth $40,000. 

Walla Walla, W. T. 

SMITH, ELLIOTT. Born in Iowa in 1850; came west, 1870. Farmer. 

Dayton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

SANFORD, J. H. Born in Canada in 1842; came west, 1862. Farmer 
and stock-raiser Broke, now worth $2,500. 

Starbuck, Columbia Co., W. T. 

SHELTON, ALLEN. Born in Iowa in 1854; came west, 1862. Farmer. 
Worth $20,000. Walla Walla, W. T. 

SMAILS, GEO. Born in Virginia in 1838; came west, 1862. Deputy 
city marshal. Walla Walla, W. T. 

SCHWARZ, ADOLPH. Born in Germany in 1853; came west, 1870. 
Saloonist. Walla Walla, W. T. 

STINE, FRED. Born in Pennsylvania in 1825; came west, 1853. Came 
to Walla Walla in 1863 with the soles of his shoes tied on with bark, 
and his pants off at the knees. Engaged in hlacksmithing. Served 
in the Legislative body — in the House in 1869, and in the Council in 
1873. Now worth $25,000. Walla W.vlla, W. T, 



APPENDIX. 499 

STOKES, M. Born in Ohio in 1831; came west, 1852. Miner. He is 
.knowing to many facts contained in this book. 

East Portland, Oregon. 

STEVENS, J. W. Born in California in 1858. Farmer. 

COVELLO, W. T. 

STROUD, WILLIAM. Born in Illinois in 1840; came west, 1850. 
Served in the Indian war of 1855-56, under Gen. Joe Lane; also 
served in the Bannock war of 1878. 

Perry, Columbia Co., W. T. 

SCHAFFER, W. S. Born in California in 1859 ; came to Walla Walla 
in 1881. Short of means, now worth $15,000. 

Walla Walla, W. T. 

STINE, W. H. Born in Ohio in 1840; came west, 1858. Arrived in the 
same condition as did Adam in Garden of Eden. Cashier of First 
National Bank. Walla Walla, W. T. 

SCOTT, B. A. Born in Kansas in 1858 ; came west, 1861. Farmer. 

Walla Walla, W. T. 

SCHNECKLOTH, H. Born in Germany in 1840; came west, 1881. 
Farmer. Was worth $3,000, now worth $6,000. 

Pat AHA CiTT, Garfield Co., W. T. 

SALING, J. E. Born in Missouri in 1830; came west, 1852. Dealer in 
general merchandise. Weston, Umatilla Co., Oregon. 

SILCOTT, J. Born in Virginia in 1824; came Mest, 1849. Ferry on 
Clearwater. Lewiston, Idaho. 

SULLIVAN, J. S. Born in Louisiana in 1840; came west, 1853. Car- 
penter. COLTON, W. T. 

STENGEL, J. Born in St. Petersburg in 1849; came west in 1866. 
Merchant. Dayton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

SHAW, S. W. Born in Missouri in 1831 ; came west, 1864. Had at that 
time a wagon and four horses, five head of cattle, and not a dollar. 
Pays taxes now on $20,000, accumulated in this Territory. Farmer. 

Dayton, Columbia Co., W. T. 



500 APPENDIX. 

SANFORD, A. L. Born in Illinois in 1845 ; came west, 1871. Farmer 
and stock-raiser. Covello, Columbia Co., W. T. 

SEAECT, LEE. Born in Georgia in 1850 ; came west, 1874. Salesman. 

Dayton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

SCHAFER, JOHN. Born in Germany in 1840; came west, 1873. 
Farmer. Moscow, Idaho. 

SHERMAN, C. A. Born in New York in 1847; came west, 1874. Hard- 
ware dealer. Moscow, Idaho. 

STURDEVANT, R. F. Attorney at Law. Datton, W. T. 

SPARKS, LINZA. Born in Oregon in 1857. Farmer. Served under 
Col. Hunter in the Nez Perce Indian war. 

Pendleton, Oregon. 

STRATTON, S. D. Born in New Brunswick in 1841; came west, 1879. 
Hotel keeper. Willapa, W. T. 

SMITH, W. F. Born in Sweden in 1849; came west, 1863. Fisherman. 

Ilwaco, W. T. 

SCHEDRIP, MARCUS. Born in Norway in 1856; came west, 1883, 
U. S. Life-Saving Service. North Cove, W. T. 

SMITH, AMOS. Born in Ohio in 1834; came west, 1853. Stock-raising. 

South Bend, "W. T. 

SACKNITZ, JOHN. Born in Germany in 1847; came west, 1873. Cab- 
inet maker and joiner. Pomerot, Garfield Co., W. T. 

SMITH, CHAS. T. Born in Iowa in 1861 ; came west, 1864. Machinist 
and blacksmith. Waitsburg, Walla Walla Co., W. T. 

STINE, WM. Born in Pennsylvania in 1828 ; came west, 1852. 

Walla Walla, W. T. 

STIENBERGER, JOHN. Born in Washington Territory in 1869. 

Walla Walla. W. T. 



APPENDIX. 501 

SAVAGE, W. R. Born in Missouri in 1833; came west, 1850. Farmer. 
Broke, now worth $10,000. 

Dayton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

SMITH, P. E. Born in Illinois in 1833; came west, 1845. Broke. 
Has made and lost several fortunes. Has now a good home, etc. 

Starbuck, Columbia Co., W. T. 

STARNER, JOHN E. Born in Ohio in 1837 ; came west, 1865. Had 
$25, now worth $10,000. Farmer. Ex-Probate Judge of Columbia 
Co. Endicott, Whitman Co., W. T. 

STEVENS, W. H. Born in Pennsylvania in 1848; came west, 1855. 
Broke, now worth $5,000. 

Prescott, Walla Walla Co., W. T. 

STUART, W. H. Born in Illinois in 1841; came west, 1863. Hotel 
keeper, farmer, and stock-raiser. 

Texas, Whitman Co., W. T. 

SORENSEN, S. P. Born in Denmark in 1850; came west, 1878. Fore- 
man on wharf O. R. & N. Co. 

RiPARiA, Columbia Co., W. T. 

ST. GEORGE, HARRY. Born in New York in 1850; came west, 1877. 
Hotel keeper. Served with Gen. Wheaton during Nez Perce war. 

PoMEROY, Garfield Co., W. T. 

SHERRILL, MRS. J. E. Bom in Ohio in 1841; came west, 1885. 
Physician. Pomeroy, Garfield Co., W. T. 

THORNTON, H. Born in England in 1832; came west, 1850. Hotel 
keeper. Dayton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

TURNER, J. T. Born in Oregon in 1846. Master of a vessel. 

Oysterville, W. T. 

TELLIN, JOHN. Born in England in 1849; came west, 1849. Light- 
house keeper, Shoalwater Bay. North Cove, W. T. 

THOMPSON, T. S. Born in Indiana in 1830; came west, 1869. Farmer. 
Broke, now worth $3,000. Datton, W. T, 



502 APPENDIX. 

TOWNSEND, T. W. Born in Pennsylvania in 1853; came west, 1881. 
Conductor O. R. ct N. R. R. Dayton, W. T. 

TITUS, MRS. M. C. Born in Indiana in 1843; came west, 1862. Was 
$45 below zero, now worth $15,000 made in this country. Mrs. Titus 
is a daughter of Capt. AVm. Swan, of Vermillion Co., Indiana. 

TRIPLETT, J. D. Born in Missouri in 1862; came west, 1877. Farmer. 

Dayton, W. T. 

TIMBERLAKE, W. E. Born in Missouri in 1838; came west, 1867. 
Raymond House. Lewiston, Idaho. 

TOMLINSON, I. J. Born in Ohio in 1847; came west, 1869. Teacher. 
Has traveled extensively in the West. Moscow, Idaho. 

TRIPLETT, GEO. Born in Missouri in 1845 ; came west, 1864. Farmer. 

Datton, W. T. 

TRENCHARD, C. J. Born in Oregon in 1853. County clerk of Clatsop 
Co. Master of Temple Lodge No. 7. Astoria, Oregon, 

THOMPSON, H. C. Born in Oregon in 1855. Grocer. 

Astoria, Oregon. 

THOMPSON, B. F. Born in Tennessee in 1837; came west, 1853. Was 
$3.50 worse off than nothing, now worth $7,000, made at farming. 

Dayton, W. T. 

TOMPKINS, J. F. Born in Michigan in 1865 ; came west, 1875. 

Ilwaco, W. T. 

TAYLOR, W. D. Born in New York in 1845;. came west, 1876. Team- 
ing. Ilavaco, W. T. 

THAYER, J. A. Born in Michigan in 1861; came west, 1885. Farmer. 

Ilwaco, W. T. 

THROSSELL, THOS. Born in New York in 1833; came west, 1853. 

Marengo, Columbia Co., W. T. 



APPENDIX. 503 

TAYLOR, JOHN A. Born iu New York in 1835; came west, 1852. 
Justice of the Peace, conveyancer, and notary public. 

Walla Walla, W. T. 

TRACY, JOHN. Born in Ireland in 1825; came west, 1856. Served 
with Col. Right iu the Indian war of 1855-56. Was at the battle of 
Right's bone yard, on Spokane Prairie. Farmer. Was worth a U. S. 
blanket and a rifle, now worth $30,000. 

Walla Walla, W. T. 

TOBIN, H. Born in Ireland in 1848 ; came west, 1862. 

Walla Walla, W. T. 

VAUGHN, D. M. Born in New York in 1831; came west, 1862. Broke, 
now worth $10,000. Employee of O. R. & N. Co. R. R. 

Daytox, Columbia Co., W. T. 

VAN LEW, W. H. Born in Pennsylvania in 1849; came west, 1886. 
M. Minnewauken Lodge No. 15, Dalcota. Restaurant. 

Dayton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

VAN PATTEN, E. H. Born in Illinois in 1855; came west, 1880. Phy- 
sician and surgeon. Dayton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

VALLEN, AMOS. Born in Canada East in 1851; came west, 1867. 
Butcher. Dayton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

VAN PATTEN, E. L. Born in Illinois in 1861; came west, 1880. 
Farmer. Broke, now worth $10,000. 

Grant, Wasco Co., Oregon. 

VINSON, J. L. Born in Arkansas in 1856 ; came west, 1873. Probate 
Judge. Asotin, W. T. 

VANDERWALKER, C. V. Moscow, Idaho. 

VAN DUSEN, B. Born in Oregon in 1856. General merchandise. Past 
M. Temple Lodge No. 7. Astoria, Oregon. 

VAN DUSEN, J. P. Born in niinois in 1854, came west, 1877. Phy- 
sician and surgeon. Dayton, Columbia Co., W. T. 



504 APPENDIX. 

VAILE, RUFUS H. Born in Indiana in 1843; came west, 1880. Farmer. 

Walla Walla, W. T. 

A\aLLIAMSON, F. E. Born in Michigan in 1849; came west, 1886. 
Salesman. Pomekoy, Garfield Co., W. T. 

WILLIAMS, S. H. Born in Oregon in 1866. Farmer. 

^ Pataha City, Garfield Co., W. T. 

WELLMAN, C. D. Born in Missouri in 1856; came west, 1863. Farmer 
and stock-raiser. Was worth nothing, now worth $3,000. 

Walla Walla, W. T. 

W^HITE, R. A. Born in Wisconsin in 1841 ; came west, 1854. Pump 
repairer O. R. & N. Co. Walla Walla, W. T. 

WILSON, E. T. Born in Wisconsin in 1857; came west, 1866. Pub- 
lisher of the Spokane Chinook. Served through Nez Perce war of 
1877. M. Columbia Lodge No. 26. Spokane Falls, W. T. 

WARREN, JOSEPH. Born in New Hampshire in 1812; came west, 
1848. Broke, now worth $5,000. 

Daytox, CoLUiiBiA Co., W. T. 

WARWT:CK, J. A. Born in Virginia in 1837; came west, 1871. Farmer. 

Dattox, Columbia Co., W. T. 

W^LCOX, M. J. Born in Pennsylvania in 1852; came west, 1873. Con- 
ductor O. R. & N. Co. Dayton, W. T. 

WALKER, ROBT. R. Born in Iowa in 1868; came west, 1871. Fire- 
man O. R. & N. R. R. RiPARiA, Columbia Co., W. T. 

WILSON, P. C. Born in Virginia in 1857; came west, 1885. Section 
foreman O. R. & N. Co. Riparia, Columbia Co., W. T. 

WARD, CHAS. P. Born in New York in 1832; came west, 1852. 
Farmer. Was worth $120, now worth $15,000. 

PoMEROY, Garfield Co., W. T. 

WARDLAW, A. F. Born in Kentucky in 1827; came west, 1882. 
Farmer. Pomeroy, Garfield Co., W. T. 



APPENDIX. 505 

WOOD, E. B. Born in California in 1860. County auditor of Pacific Co. 

Oysterville, W. T. 

WOOD, JOHN. Born in Canada in 1834 ; came west, 1854. Lumber- 
man. Mason. South Bexd, W. T. 

WALDRON, R. P. Born in Indiana in 1820; came west, 1871. Pro- 
visions and butcher. Abekdeex, Chehalis Co., W. T. 

WALKER, J. R. Born in Washington Territory in 1847. Son of the 
missionary, E. Walker, who came west in 1838. 

Spokane Co., W. T. 

WARD, W. W. Born in New York in 1843; came west, 1877. Saloon 
keeper. Ilwaco, W. T. 

WILLIAMS, REES. Born in Wales in 1846; came west, 1876. Sea 
captain, farmer, and fisherman. Ilwaco, W. T. 

WILLIAMS, LEWIS D. Bom in Wales in 1854; came west, 1870. 
Fisherman. Ilwaco, W. T. 

WALKER, J. W. Born in England in 1854; came west, 1879. Life- 
Saving Service. Ft. Canbt, W. T. 

WRIGHT, CHAD. W. Born in Wisconsin in 1836; came west, 1867. 
Broke, now worth $10,000. Dayton, W. T. 

WARE, N. Born in California in 1862. Farmer. 

Dayton, W. T. 

WEINHARD, JACOB. Born in Germany in 1849; came west, 1870. 
Brewery and malt house. Dayton, W. T. 

WATSON, JACK H. Born in Illinois in 1857 ; came west, 1880. En- 
gineer O. R. & N. R. R. M. Walla Walla Lodge No. 7 ; Walla Walla 
Chapter No. 1, R. A. M. Dayton, W. T. 

WOLF, FRANK. Spokane Falls, W. T. 

WARREN, B, R. Born in Oregon. Farmer. 

Hunts viLLE, Columbia Co., W, T, 



506 APPENDIX. 

WANBORN, J. H. Born in Missouri in 1849 ; came \s-est, 1881. Spec- 
ulator. Pataha City, Garfield Co., W. T. 

WORMINGTON, M. V. Born in Tennessee in 1836; came west, 1860. 
Blacksmith. Former partner of the author of this book. 

Milton, U.matilla Co., Oregox. 

WAGONBLAST, JACOB. Born in Missouri in lS-1.5; came west, 1855. 
Proprietor of the Marshall House. 

Westox, Umatilla Co., Oregox. 

WOOD, D. A. Born in Oregon in 1848. Blacksmith, 

Moscow, Idaho. 

WOOD, G. W. Born in Massachusetts in 1853; came west, 1862. Bar 
pilot on the Columbia River bar. Astoria, Oregon. 

WAIT, FRANK L. Born in Illinois in 1852; came west, 1876. City 
marshal. Dayton, W. T. 

WHETSTONE, THOS. W. Born in Ohio in 1830; came west, 1848. 
Broke, pays taxes now on $6,000. Daytox, W. T. 

WARD, RALPH C. Born in Pennsylvania, Bradford Co., in 1869; 
came west, 1880. Clerk in Post Office. Daytox, W. T. , 

WHITE, JOSEPH. Born in Pennsylvania in 1826; came west, 1849. 
Has mined, packed, milled, and farmed. Married Susie Hunter, sister 
of the author, in 1853. Has known the author ever since his arrival 
on the coast. Is knowing to the facts contained in this book. 

Dayton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

WRIGHT, J. C. Born in New York in 1843; came west, 1876. Farmer 
and stock-raiser. Waitsburg, Walla Walla Co., W. T. 

WALKER, R. F. Born in Kentucky in 1830; came west, 1851. Farmer. 
Waitsburg, Walla Walla Co., W. T. 

WOODS, JACK. Born in New York in 1844; came west, 1877. Farmer. 
Waitsburg, Walla Wajlla Co., W. T. 



APPENDIX. 507 

WHITE, M. Born in Kentucky in 1831; came west, 1S63. Farmer. 
Worth $500, now worth $8,000. Knew the author of this book as a 
boy in Iowa in 18.51. Walla Walla, W. T. 

WOODWORTH, J. D. Born in Indiana in 1841; came west, 1860. 
Farmer. Broke, now worth $25,000. Walla W.vlla, W. T. 

WHITMAN, E. B. Born in Massachusetts in 1824; came west, 1850, and 
to Walla Walla in 1859. Was the first mayor elected for Walla Walla 
city, and served five terms. Real estate and insurance agent and 
money broker. Walla Walla, W. T. 

WOODRUFF, W. A. Born in Arkansas in 1853; came west, 1874. 
Commercial traveler. Spokane Fai.ls, W. T. 

WINSHIP, WM. Born in Oregon. Nephew of the author of this book. 

Walla Walla, W. T. 

WATROUS, L. W. Born in Canada West in 1825; came west, 1872. 
Farmer and stock-raiser. Was Lieutenant of Dayton Volunteers in 
Nez Perce Indian war, and took command of the company after Hun- 
ter was elected Lieut. -Col. of the regiment. Served through the 
Rebellion. Dayton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

WOLF, H. H. Born in Indiana in 1837; came west, 1875. Dealer in 
general merchandise. Worth $1.50 less than nothing, now pays taxes 
on $20,000, accumulated in this country. M. M. Columbia Lodge 
No. 26. Datton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

WHITE, GEO. Born in Oregon in 1859. Farmer. Is a nephew of the 
author of this book. Datton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

WARREN, B. R. Born in Oregon. Farmer. 

HuNTSViLLE, Columbia Co., W. T. 

WOOD, DAVID. Born in New York in 1827; came west, 1865. Farmer 
and wool grower. Broke, now worth $25,000. 

Datton, Columbia Co., W. T. 

WILDER, D. W. Born in Missouri in 1866; came west, 1872. 

Milton, Umatilla Co., Oregon. 



508 APPENDIX. 

WOODS, GEO. Born In Arkansas In 1850; came west, 1875. Livery- 
man. Asotin, W. T. 

WARREN, FELIX. Bom in Missouri in 1853; came west, 1865. Stage- 
driver. Lewistox, Idaho. 

WILSON, G. W. Born In Oliio in 1830 ; came west, 1852. Was well 
acquainted with Hunter, the author of this book, from 1857 up to 
1862. Is one of the oldest oystermen of this bay. 

Bat Centre, W. T. 

XAVTER, HEINRICH. Born in Alaska in 1851; came to the terri- 
tory in 1877. Farmer. Uxiontowx, W. T. 

YOUNG, LEWIS. Born in Germany in 185.3; came west, 1870. Barber. 

Dayton, Columbia Co., W. T. 











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